


Without That Mask

by Emiza



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Minor Violence, Slow Burn, love square
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2018-12-22 21:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 87,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11975379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emiza/pseuds/Emiza
Summary: Angela never asked to be a superhero. It was a duty handed down to her by those other, greater superheroes before her. But the heroes’ glorious days are over and when history starts to repeat itself, it threatens to suffocate the concept of superheroes once and for all.The only ones who can stop it are Valkyrie and Sparrow.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with a new fic and I'm super excited to share this with you! 
> 
> A lot of you liked the small drabble I wrote for Gencyweek 2.0, and I really liked the au as well, so! I've got 15 chapters planned, with possible change, and a shorter Origin Story planned as well! I'm not sure how often I'll update, but a chapter usually takes 1-2 weeks for me to write. Updates will be in the weekend after a chapter is finished and ready. 
> 
> I hope you're all as excited as I am! :)
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

Valkyrie’s heart was beating too fast in her chest, blood overflowing with adrenaline as she pressed her hand against her stomach. A groan slipping from her lips as she leaned her head back on the wall, tried to breathe through the air of gunfire and smoke.

This was typical her luck. Getting shot at a simple robbery and being completely useless in the fight, leaving everything up to Sparrow once more. Sure, the wound would heal in a matter of minutes, and sure, Sparrow was definitely capable of taking care of this himself, but she _hated_ feeling this useless.

“How’s it going?” she called out, heard the sound of metal against metal, another gunshot, but no scream and no answer. A stray bullet flying past.

Huffing, she slowly stood up, soon feeling smooth skin and dried blood against her fingers, no bullet wound in sight, even though the pain was still there. But it seemed like the bullet had gone straight through and wasn’t left in her. At least that was something positive in this mess. She wouldn’t want to spend an hour locked up in her bathroom that evening, dirtying her nice towels with blood again.

Poking around the corner where she had hidden, she saw Sparrow fighting off the robbers. Sword moving faster than she could see, deflecting gunshots and everything else the masked men were throwing at him in desperation, from pens and rubble, to the very jewelry they were carrying. But for every little thing they threw, they edged closer and closer to the door where their getaway was waiting impatiently, and it was a wonder he hadn’t already taken off when she and Sparrow had appeared. And to be quite honest; they would’ve taken care of this mess in less than five minutes if Valkyrie hadn’t been shot.

She shifted her grip on her gun, moving out from the cover and firing a warning shot just behind one of the men. Her gun didn’t carry regular bullets and didn’t do much damage if she actually hit something, but it was a good way to stun her enemies.

The men froze in fear, realizing that their small window of opportunity since they had shot her was gone, and now they had to face two superheroes. No one in their right mind did that.

“It’s over,” she spoke, voice carrying not a trace of the pain that still lingered in her side. “Give up without a fuss and the police might be kind on you.”

The robbers shifted, looked at each other, and for a second Valkyrie saw pure fear in their eyes. But then that second was gone, and three guns were pointed at her.

 _Shit_.

“ _Val_ -!” Sparrow began, moving faster than she could, deflecting the bullets before they could hit her, and she rolled away to the side, shooting her own gun at the robbers. One of them fell with a scream, clutching his leg where he had been hit, unable to get up again. The other two gave him one last look before they sprinted for the door, abandoning their own with not much more than their lives. Jewelry scattered and forgotten on the floor.

Sparrow began to turn to her, worry in his eyes, lips with that familiar scar parted just slightly. Questions already on his tongue, sword lowered and hand starting to reach out for her.

“Sparrow, get them!” Valkyrie screamed, and her voice seemed to snap him out of that strange mood. He gave her a short nod, leaving her on the floor as he chased after the robbers. He reached them just as they opened the door to the store, gripping their collars and throwing them back before heading out for the driver.

Valkyrie stood up and positioned herself between the robbers and the door, watched as they groaned and huffed as they tried to stand. Two warning shots and they fell down in defeat, their own guns thrown to the side, finally deciding that it was time to give up.

“You guys never learn, do you?” she asked, one hand on her hip as she looked the three robbers over. “This is what? The third time you’re all going to jail?”

One of them grumbled at her, but none answered. Valkyrie sighed, slowly shaking her head. “Perhaps it’s time for you all to change career. Robbery is obviously not working out well for you.”

In the distance, there was the sound of someone hitting the breaks too fast, followed by a crash and the shrill tune of a car alarm. A few seconds later, the door behind her opened and Sparrow walked in with the driver over his shoulder. He gave Valkyrie a brilliant smile, one she had gotten so used to by then that she didn’t even blink at it. The cameras loved that smile, and if she hadn’t actually had to work with him, perhaps she’d adore it too. Of course, that was never something she told Sparrow. Didn’t want to inflate that big ego of his.  

“The car is crashed, couldn’t save it,” he said and didn’t sound all too apologetic about it. He put the driver down next to the others, before backing away to stand next to Valkyrie. His swords were sheathed, but she knew he could draw one faster than she could blink.

They didn’t have any rope to bind the criminals with, and they didn’t feel especially comfortable with leaving them all unattended in a jewelry store, and so they had to wait until the police arrived. This didn’t happen very often, most of the time the police were quick to respond, and Valkyrie didn’t know what was holding them up this time.

She kept a close eye on the four men, looked out for any suspicious move or secret communication, and didn’t notice as Sparrow moved closer to her. She jumped as his fingers brushed against her arm, a light touch that shouldn’t have evoked such a response from her and she quickly averted her gaze.

“You alright?” he asked, voice soft for only her to hear. “You got shot before.”

“I’m fine,” she answered, voice just as low, but when she looked up at him she saw the clear worry in his gaze. With a soft huff, she turned slightly so he could see the torn fabric and the smooth skin beneath. “Clean exit wound. Healed quickly. You know the deal.”

“But the pain always remain.” He began reaching out to touch where the wound had been, but paused in the last second and let his hand fall. “You sure you’re alright? I can take care of this alone if you need to leave.”

Valkyrie was sure that he could, he was a good fighter after all, but at the same time they were partners. Neither of them knew what the robbers could have up their sleeves, and it could be fatal if one of them decided to leave earlier than the other. Even _media_ was a reasonable threat in that situation, trying to get away from the flashing cameras all alone was almost impossible.

They worked as a pair. And their work wasn’t done until the police came and took over.

“I’m fine,” she said, hoping to put an end to that discussion.

The room returned to silence, and Valkyrie shifted a bit where she stood, throwing a quick glance to the street outside. A small crowd had already began to form and she could see a few camera flashes here and there. There were no approaching police yet, but if she listened closely, she could hear the sound of sirens in the distance.

She felt a restlessness settle in her stomach, fingers tapping against her hip, lower lip between her teeth before she caught Sparrow staring at her.

“So,” he began, dragging out the _o_ , a sly smile on his lips, pretending as he hadn’t been staring at her. “Got any plans today?”

Glancing over at him, Valkyrie raised an eyebrow in a scolding look. “Trying to pry again, are you?”

“No! Nope! Not at all!” He waved his hands in front of him, smiling more innocently than the robbers on the ground. “Just wondered what you were doing before all of this. You seemed to have something on your mind when you arrived, and you seem eager to get away now.”

A soft huff and she averted her gaze. “If you’re referring to the fact that I accidentally got shot, then you can _zip_ it. Nothing is on my mind and I wasn’t doing anything special.”

“Aww, too bad! And here I thought you’d finally admit that _I_ was the one thing on your mind!” He smiled at her, and when she gave him a sour look he laughed, all worry from before gone. “I was only trying to chitchat. Waiting isn’t one of my strengths.”

“Neither is _chitchatting_ obviously. You’re doing a very poor job at it.”

He grinned back at her, and she rolled her eyes in return. He was always smiles and laughter and jokes and bad flirting. She didn’t understand _why_ though, she was nothing special even as a superhero. She couldn’t swing a sword and her gun didn’t do much, she was horrible at killing and she was mostly just in the way. Today she even got shot! She figured that someone like him, with his charms and smiles, must be able to find someone better.

Someone who wasn’t risking her life whenever she transformed, someone who didn’t have to hide her true identity whenever they were together. Someone where _together_ wasn’t in the middle of a robbery or a fight.

Yet he went for her, and she figured that perhaps he just had really bad taste.

Shifting once more, she put away her gun, figuring that the men looked a bit too defeated to try anything fishy. And even if they did, Sparrow was there to take care of any surprises.

“And you?”

Sparrow blinked and looked over at her. Head tilting slightly to the side. “And me?”

“Do you have any plans?” she tried again. “Or did you do something fun before this all began? You got here quickly. _And_ ,” she added quickly. “I’m not prying. I’m chitchatting.” 

Sparrow hummed softly, finger tapping his chin as he thought. Then his lips parted in that charming smile again. “I was on my way to meet a friend for lunch.” A pause, a nervous shift. “Not a romantic friend or anything, just a good friend. Classmate. Not much for dates unless the right person was to ask.”

He winked at her and she rolled her eyes, couldn’t help that smile on her lips. They had already agreed a long time ago that they wouldn’t tell each other their true identities, nor give away too much information or details that could lead to a big reveal. They were wearing masks for a reason, and in Valkyrie’s opinion, a closer relationship could mean certain death. Secrets could be dangerous, superhero secrets more so.

Which also meant that dates were completely out of the question, even though Sparrow kept asking her out.

“I was at a nearby café,” Valkyrie said, giving a light shrug. She didn’t like telling him about her civilian life, but if she kept it vague enough she wouldn’t have to be afraid that he would somehow find her through clues she accidentally left behind. “Hopefully the police will show up soon, don’t know how long my excuse for a toilet visit will hold.”

Sparrow crossed his arms and leaned back on a wall, amusement in his dark eyes. On the floor, the robbers groaned. “What was your excuse?”

“Told my friend that my period was acting up,” she said, smiling at his wrinkled nose. “It’s a good excuse! It could mean anything from nausea to a river of blood. A valid excuse to spend a longer time in a public bathroom.”

“I suppose it only works once a month though?” Sparrow smiled at her and she shrugged again. “I usually just go with the _I forgot something important, you go on without me, I’ll catch up_. My friends take me for a quite forgetful person nowadays though.”

A light laughter, and Sparrow’s eyes softened at the sound. “My friend just think I’m super clumsy with a horrible period. But she’s very thoughtful, always brings me chocolate when she knows it’s about to start.”

Another wink. “I’ll take note!”

Valkyrie was just about to answer, words already in her breath, when there was a knock on the door behind them. They turned slightly, making sure the defeated robbers wouldn’t try anything funny at the small distraction. A reporter with a pristine blue coat and a cameraman just behind her, waved happily at them, gesturing to the mic she held and then to the camera over her shoulder.

“I think someone wants an interview,” Valkyrie sighed, all air leaving her. She really didn’t have the time or energy, or even the mood, for an extended interview for the local news. They were famous, or rather, _infamous_ , for dragging interviews out with superheroes. Always in the hopes that if it took too long, their transformations would release and their identities would be revealed for the whole world to see.

With other words; Valkyrie’s biggest nightmare.

Sparrow turned away from the door, grimacing when they couldn’t see his expression. “She’s persistent. I’d hoped she’d given up by now. Especially after the time I _accidentally_ dropped her in the river.”

Valkyrie hummed in agreement, looking over the crowd behind the reporter. It was only a matter of time before she would start tugging at the door, Valkyrie knew, but they had limited options in escaping the reporters and the crowd. They couldn’t take the door in the back, not with the high security system the shop had and she didn’t really feel like triggering alarms on the same day she had been shot. And so the only option for them to get out of there and return to their lives, was to venture out into the crowd.

The sound of sirens grew stronger, and soon there was a familiar shade of blue moving in the crowd.

“Time to go,” she mumbled, turning back to the robbers. “Get up, please. Let’s spare ourselves even more embarrassment today, yeah?”

The robbers did as she asked, standing up with grumbling and huffing. The one who had been shot in the leg couldn’t walk on his own, even though there was no wound and no blood, and two of his companions had to help carry his weight as he stumbled forward on one leg.

Sparrow opened the door for them, and the reporter moved out of the way to let them all out into the open. Cameras flashed and Valkyrie shielded her eyes, paused at the door.

A warm hand at the small of her back made her take a deep breath, plaster on that kind smile of hers, and step out to the crowd. Sparrow followed closely behind her, drawing most of the attention with his charming grin and glistering eyes, and it didn’t look like he had just fought off a robbery.

The criminals were handed over to the police without a fuss, and Valkyrie caught sight of grateful smiles and an occasional tip of a hat. And then a mic was pressing against her lips as the reporter in the blue coat stepped forward, questions falling from her mouth faster than Valkyrie could even begin to think of an answer. At the reporter’s movement, the other reporters around them, along with the rest of the crowd who hoped for a picture of their heroes, moved closer and shouted questions of their own.

“Can you tell us more details of the attempted robbery?”

“Your suit is torn; did you get hurt?”

“Are you and Valkyrie finally buying a ring?”

A practiced smile slipped on her lips and she took a step back, a desperate way to try and get some distance. Back bumping into Sparrow’s chest, a nervous flutter of her wings. And Sparrow smiled, one of those smiles that she couldn’t tell were fake or not, and answered the questions he could with as little detail as possible.

Without his touch, she might’ve taken off already.

But there was nowhere to go. They couldn’t possibly push through the crowd, and they had already been surrounded and couldn’t even return inside to try that backdoor with the many alarms. The only way to escape was either to melt through the ground, or go up.

Her wings fluttered again.

At that moment, under the camera flashes and with the feeling of a secure warmth against her, a plan began to form. Desperate and stupid, but a plan nonetheless that would surely work. But it would come with a high price. She just knew what kind of rumors would be spread, the headlines, and she knew she would never hear the end of it as her civilian self.

But oh well.

She was wearing a mask for a reason, right?

“I apologize, but we are both in a bit of a hurry,” she spoke, voice loud and clear, shushing the people around them for only a second before the questions rose again. Letting it fall on deaf ears, she turned around, briefly met Sparrow’s eyes and she hoped he couldn’t see her regret before she leaned up and whispered, “Hold me tight and don’t let go.”

He did as she said without hesitation, strong arms wrapping around her, almost lifting her up from the ground. She could smell his cologne and she had to force herself to focus, to not take a deep breath when she knew he would notice.

A flutter on her back, and her wings spread out wide and golden. She felt the small breeze ruffle the feathers, felt the way the crowd sucked in a breath, felt how Sparrow’s breath hitched against her hair.

And before the reporter in the blue coat could lean in and touch her wings, like she had tried so many times before, Valkyrie took off. Wings beating fast and steady, taking them both up in the air and away from the flashes and excited shouts.  

“You know,” she breathed once they were high enough, when the winds surrounded them in a strange security. She gently tugged at Sparrow’s arms. “I said hold me close, not strangle me.”

Apologies were whispered against her hair and Sparrow shifted slightly, didn’t hold as tight and allowed her to breathe again. She curled her fingers on the fabric of his suit, felt the metal armor underneath.

“Will a roof do?” She asked, starting to lower them to the tall rooftops. It was hard flying with the extra weight, and she didn’t know how much longer she could take being drowned in his cologne. Because the worst part was that he smelled _good_. So good that it made her stomach warm and resolve weaken, treacherous thoughts of _what ifs_ filling her mind. But she didn’t like Sparrow _like that_ , and so it would only be cruel for them both if she was to do something she’d regret later. All because he smelled nice.

He nodded against her neck, nose brushing against her skin, and she would’ve scolded him or even pushed him away if she hadn’t known how much he disliked flying. High heights he could handle, but flying? That’s why his name was so ironic. If anyone should’ve had wings, it was him, and yet he couldn’t take not having his feet on solid ground.

She gently lowered him, slipping from his embrace as his feet touched the roof. He quickly looked up at her, hands finding hers and he held her in place for a moment, question on his lips and yet he didn’t speak any words.

Swallowing, she gave him a smile. “See you next time, Sparrow.”

They had both done what they had set out to do, energy weakening as their transformations soon would falter, and she couldn’t linger. Not for his sake alone. He knew that too well, and yet the question still lingered between them, unspoken.

“Until we meet again.” His hands slipped from hers as he let her go.

 

*

 

Warmth surrounded her as her transformation released, a glittering light falling from her form until she was back in her jeans and sweater. Without a mask on her face, hair hanging lose around her shoulders. Bracelet warm against her skin.

She took a deep breath, smoothing out the wrinkles on her clothes, wincing as she brushed over her stomach. At least she could pass off the pain as cramps, she supposed, not that Fareeha could guess that she had actually been shot just minutes before. She didn’t even want to imagine her friend’s reaction to that.

With a suspicious look around her, she made sure no one had seen her, then exited the alleyway and went back into the small café. It was busy enough for her to enter without being seen, and she quietly slipped back into her seat across from Fareeha. Half-eaten cheesecake still in front of her.

“Sorry for the wait,” she said, smiling apologetically. “You know how it is.”

Fareeha looked at her, sympathy in her eyes and swallowing the lie whole. “I don’t get how you survive! I can’t even stubble my toe without crying.” She picked up her coffee and gave Angela a pointed look. “You are a champion.”

“A champion of pain and blood,” Angela grinned back, picking up her fork to continue on her cheesecake as if nothing had happened. “Could be my title as a superhero.”

Fareeha laughed at that, just quietly enough to not disturb the people around them, and still it lured forth a smile of her own. It was a pretty sound, and Fareeha only laughed when everything was right in the world.

“You could ask Valkyrie or Sparrow to hand it down to you next,” she suggested, smiling over the rim of her cup. “No clue how it would work out for you once a month and with your clumsiness. Guess that’s why they work in teams, huh?”

Shrugging, Angela avoided the topic, quickly hiding her wince of pain at the motion with a mouthful of dessert.

“Speaking of superheroes, you just missed them!” Fareeha took the last sip of her coffee, picking up her phone and showing her the news. Angela bit the inside of her cheek to not grimace at the headlines.

_Superhero duo shopping for wedding ring – caught jewelry thieves instead!_

“The headlines are getting more and more ridiculous,” she said, leaning back in her seat. The media was always so eager to jump to conclusions, everything to make people buy their lies. “Next they’ll claim that Valkyrie is pregnant.”

“That’d be terrible for her.” Fareeha made a face. “But otherwise, I don’t know. I mean, they’ve been flirting around for 3 years now. They’re obviously a couple. Marriage might not be an exaggeration.”

Angela almost spat out her cheesecake. Since when had she been flirting with Sparrow? Of course, he flirted with her and it was hardly a secret, but she never flirted back! That’d just be too cruel.

“You still don’t believe they’re together, huh?” Fareeha narrowed her eyes at her, showing her the phone again and scrolled past the many pictures in the article. “See the pictures? They flew off together. In an _embrace_! How could they not be a couple?”

“Because,” she said, pointed her small fork at Fareeha, one eyebrow raised in doubt. “They’re superheroes. Doesn’t seem to me like they’ve got the time to hang out and _make out_ and all of that.”

Fareeha nodded slowly before giving her a small shrug. “Can’t really argue with that. But they’re surrounded by danger whenever they appear, and how can you _not_ fall for the person that saves your ass like once a week?”

Determination and a strong will.

The words were almost spoken aloud before Angela could stop herself, taking another bite of her food to make sure she’d be quiet. Because it wasn’t very hard not to fall for Sparrow, not with his charms that she could see right through. It might’ve worked on other girls, and she was sure a lot of them would’ve personally killed her to replace her in that embrace from earlier, but it didn’t work once Angela had seen him give that same smile to squealing girls and reporters alike. If there had ever been magic in his charms and flirting, it had since long disappeared in her eyes. Only the scent of his cologne could make her knees weak.

Fareeha didn’t need to know that.

Somewhat desperate to change topic, she was ready to start talking about the weather, but as she glanced up, she paused. Fareeha was staring out the large window they were seated by, mischievousness sparkling in her dark eyes, and Angela knew that look so well.

With fear dropping in her stomach, she looked outside as well, following her friend’s gaze to the two men who were walking by.

 _Shit_.

Being shot was no longer the worst thing that had happened to her that day. Faith really wanted her dead.

“Please,” she began and Fareeha briefly caught her gaze, grin spreading wide on her painted lips and completely ignored Angela’s wide, scared eyes and the way she frantically shook he head, blonde locks flying wildly around her. “ _Please_ Fareeha, don’t-“

 _Knock, knock, knock_.

The two men outside paused, looking at the window. And then Jesse shone up in a smile as he saw Fareeha, who was waving happily, and Angela who wanted nothing more but sink through the plushy seat and through the floor and be evaporated by Earth’s core. And as the two men turned to enter the café, Fareeha turned back to her, proud smile on her lips.

“You owe me one.”

Angela grumbled out an insult under her breath, which only made her friend smile even wider and wink at her, before straightening up and tugging a stray lock behind her ear. She hoped she didn’t look too shabby, even though she had just fought off a jewelry theft and _gotten shot in the stomach_ and had every right to look horrible, but she knew she’d die of mortification if she did in fact look like shit.

The small bell above the door chimed, and Jesse and Genji walked in. Jesse found them quickly, tugging at Genji’s arm to pull him towards their table, though Genji craned his neck and looked around the café as if he was looking for someone special.

“Fancy seeing you both here,” Jesse said, smiling at them before taking a seat next to Fareeha, smoothly forcing Genji to sit down on the seat next to Angela. Genji gave them both a polite smile, before sitting down with a respectful distance between them. Still, Angela shifted nervously, hoping she didn’t smell all too bad from the robbery. Wondered how long the scent of smoke and blood clung to a person.

“Nice seeing you too,” Fareeha said when Angela didn’t speak up, giving her a pointed look and the smallest of nods towards Genji, who was still looking around the room as if he expected a superhero to walk into the café. A dull excitement in his eyes, lingering a little too long at every woman who passed them by, a small hope of the impossible.

Angela sat silent, folded the napkin twice in her lap before she put it back on the table. Too nervous to know what to do with her hands, and way too nervous to finish her cheesecake. She glanced over at Genji, ready to strike a conversation, but the words died on her tongue before she could even speak them.

Stupid.

This was stupid.

What was the point of being near your crush if you couldn’t even speak to him? And really, was it only a crush anymore after 3 whole years?

Jesse cleared his throat, giving her a sympathetic smile before he spoke up. “We walked past the jewelry store on our way,” Jesse began, and immediately Genji perked up, his undivided attention on Jesse. “Seems like they had some trouble. Large crowd. Police were there. Didn’t see Valkyrie and Sparrow though, guess they must’ve left the scene before we got there.”

“Yeah, it’s all over the news!” Fareeha continued, picking up her own phone to show Jesse pictures, and he raised his eyebrows before he looked over at Genji. “We just talked about it as well, and we-“ Angela kicked her leg under the table. “And _I_ think they’re definitely a couple! Just look at this new, fresh evidence!”

Jesse let out a low whistle, grinning as he saw Genji’s reaction to the headlines. Wide eyes and lips parting in a smile, looking almost like a child on Christmas. And Angela couldn’t wrap her mind around it, what was so alluring about the superheroes, what Genji could possibly love about them.

She already knew he liked Valkyrie, had caught a glimpse of his phone background a while ago, and her own face had looked back. Masked and bruised and sweaty from fighting a gigantic snake last year, but still her. At first it had made her happy, but then she remembered that Genji _didn’t_ _know_. Going after him as her superhero persona had crossed her mind more than once, but that would definitely be considered cheating. Even she wouldn’t say no if Sparrow himself dropped down before her civilian self and asked for a date.

No, she simply had to keep fighting herself over her own crush.

It was complicated.

“That headline is ridiculous though,” she mumbled and Genji shifted his gaze to her. That dark, warm gaze that seemed to melt her on the spot. A nervous laughter slipped past her lips. “I-I mean, it’s creative, sure, but they’re hardly getting married.”

“It would’ve been nice to see,” Genji hummed, despite the way Jesse barked out a laughter. “Think they’d get married in summer or winter?”

Slowly, Angela shook her head. They had this conversation every time the media pointed out how cute the superheroes were as a couple, and whenever there were new theories of their identities or habits, or just whenever a new picture of them had surfaced.

Fareeha gave her an amused look and she felt her cheeks flush at the next words. “Angela doesn’t think they’re a couple. Even with this _evidence_.”

Genji almost looked offended at that, and Angela wished she could’ve taken her words back, even if they were true. She shrank back slightly in her seat, shifting as she picked up the small fork to poke the cheesecake, praying to whatever god that might listen that Genji would stop looking at her _like that_.

“They’re holding each other,” he said, pointing at Fareeha’s phone. “They’re _hugging_.”

A shrug, a wince of pain and she clutched her stomach. Forced herself to breathe in and out for a second, before she answered. “Friends hug all the time. Just, I mean, they were escaping the crowd. How else would Valkyrie carry him?”

“Bridal style?”

Fareeha and Jesse giggled at their side of the table, and if Angela didn’t like Genji more than a friend, she too would’ve smiled at his love-struck sigh at the suggestion. Instead, her flush only darkened at the implications of that. Sparrow would’ve loved it, she was sure.

“Who wouldn’t want to get carried by Valkyrie?” Genji asked, sounding a lot like a rhetorical question because the answer was obvious. “Bridal style or not.”

“See?” Angela said, perhaps a bit too loud, and she stabbed her cheesecake with a bit more force than necessary. In the topic of the superheroes’ supposed relationship, even her crush couldn’t keep her from speaking her mind, even if her cheeks flamed the whole time. “Even Genji admitted that it could be a friend thing! A last option thing. I wouldn’t complain either if Valkyrie wanted to carry me.”

Genji nodded slowly, another soft sigh leaving him, gaze somewhere in the distance. “She’s amazing.”

And to that, Angela had to agree. It would go against everything she knew to deny it, especially when her crush admitted, out loud, that _she_ was amazing. Even if it only was her superhero persona, but it was still very much her.

“Eh, I like Sparrow more,” Jesse said, shrugging as he picked up Fareeha’s coffee, trying to drink the last few drops. “He’s got swords. He can deflect _bullets_.” He put down the cup with a disappointed huff. “And he looks like the kinda guy that is hard to resist. Superhero partner or no. Not saying they’re together,” he quickly added, “just saying that it’s a possibility and the evidence is hard to overlook.”

Genji nodded, a confident smile on his lips. “Yeah, Sparrow is pretty cool as well! They’d make a good couple.”

Fareeha agreed, and they refreshed the news sites together in the hopes for more pictures while Jesse ordered food. Angela frowned down at her cheesecake, continuing to eat slowly. Because there was one thing she didn’t understand, something she hadn’t understood since the moment it had first been brought up by Genji.

He liked Valkyrie. That much was obvious.

So why would he want her to be together with another, and not with himself? Unless, of course, he was thinking of her own best and thought she’d be happier with someone of equal strength and not just a regular civilian. Someone who could protect her. And that was probably the only reason why Angela hadn’t given up on her hopeless crush for him, because there was still the slimmest of hope that he could be interested in someone else.

Or, at least, if you went by rumors; he was _definitely_ available, but never interested enough to stick around. But according to the rumors, he also liked to fool around, cutting any string before he could be trapped by them, all to get over this _unrequited_ _love_.

It was all ridiculous to Angela, and she wasn’t sure if she believed the rumors or not.

She finished her cheesecake just as Jesse was served a sandwich. Genji hadn’t ordered anything, claimed that he didn’t have any appetite, but stole the red onion from Jesse’s plate since Jesse didn’t eat that anyway. With the food, they returned to a comfortable silence, Fareeha still on her phone and occasionally showing them new pictures of the superheroes, all in varying quality. Genji continued to look around the room until he finally gave up and with a deep sigh, he sank down in the seat and seemed to mirror Angela’s pose.

He glanced over at her, noticed the way she clutched her stomach. Sympathy sneaked into his eyes and he seemed on the verge of saying something, but decided against it in the end. Simply gave her an odd look before he turned back to Jesse, striking up a conversation about their group work for class.

Taking a few deep breaths to try and breathe away the pain, she eventually tuned out her classmates and looked out the window instead. Dark clouds covering the horizon.

“Ah,” she mumbled. “I forgot my umbrella.”

 

*

 

The store smelled heavily of scented candles, all mixed together in a single mess, and Angela wrinkled her nose as she followed Fareeha through the aisles.

“You already have at least five candles,” she pointed out as her friend picked one up that was supposed to smell like apple-pie. “Do you really need another?”

“I don’t deny that I have a lot, but I don’t have one that’s perfect for the _mood_!” Fareeha put the candle back on the shelf. “And Satya is coming over this weekend, and I _really_ need to impress her.”

“Satya?” Angela raised an eyebrow, trying to match the name to a face. “The engineering student?” Fareeha nodded. “The one you flexed in front of and she dropped all her books? And then you flexed some more when you picked it up for her?”

Fareeha nodded again, a grin on her lips.

Angela narrowed her eyes at her and then shook her head, picking up a candle scented like vanilla. Perhaps she should get something for herself as well. She didn’t have any plans for the weekend, but some lit candles and a hot bath sounded really good after that rough week. Sure, every week was rough as a superhero, but so far she’d been shot, embarrassed in front of her crush, saved a family from a burning building, helped a cat down a tree and been hunted by vicious reporters.

Yeah, she definitely deserved a few hours of relaxation.

“I wonder which scents she likes,” Fareeha mumbled, more to herself than to Angela, and they moved on to another aisle. Then she paused, turning to Angela with wide eyes. “Perhaps she doesn’t like scented candles at all!”

Shaking her head, Angela smiled. “Then you’ll just have to put them out. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed and I’m sure-“

A rumble through the ground cut off her words, and she swallowed them down as Fareeha quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her close. The shelves wobbled dangerously and candles fell down, crushed against the floor.

“Earthquake?” Fareeha breathed, looking around as the rumbling faded. Outside the small shop, people were running.

“No,” Angela said, gently slipping from Fareeha’s protective hug and moved towards the door. Fareeha followed her closely, lips parting and eyes wide as she took in the scene outside.

A tall building, filled with offices and whatnot, was falling to the ground a street away from them. People were fleeing the scene, trying to get away and get to safety, and the air was quickly filled with dust and rubble.

“Oh wow, that’s bad.” Fareeha took a stumbling step back, gently tugging at Angela’s arm. “Let’s get to safety. Valkyrie and Sparrow will show up soon, I’m sure.”

Fareeha was one of the bravest people Angela knew, and most of the time she thought Fareeha should’ve been a superhero, not Angela herself. And so she knew that Fareeha would be fine. She’d find shelter and she’d help the people around to get to safety as well, and so Angela opened the door to the shop.

“I think we can find shelter over there!” She quickly glanced back, saw the fear and panic in Fareeha’s eyes, and it hurt to see her friend like that. But she had a job to do. Before Fareeha could follow, Angela let herself be swallowed up by the mass of running people, and although she could hear her name be called she didn’t stop until she had safely crossed the street.

Covering her mouth and nose with her scarf, she headed deeper into the mess of dust and smoke, already making up a million theories of what had happened, and a million more scenarios of what she’d find when she arrived. And when she could no longer see any people, when she was sure no one could see her in turn, she transformed.

Warmth washed over her skin, clothes changed to armor and more fit for battle, wings fluttering to life on her back. Face framed by dark metal, hair tied up, staff in her hands. Mask covering her face and identity alike.

Flexing her fingers, she switched her staff for her gun before she took flight, trying to get a better view from above.

The sight would’ve made her falter if she hadn’t already been so used to the destruction and chaos that was caused so often. In the beginning, death had made her freeze with bile rising in her throat, but now she barely blinked at the lifeless bodies of those unfortunate few who hadn’t gotten away in time. She quickly passed over them, knowing that it was too late for her to help, and instead looked for movement. For breathing. Signs of life. Anything.

Please. Just _anything_.

“Oh, you should see the look on your face!”

Twisting around, gun raised, she came face to face with a smiling man, dressed neatly in a suit. Metal could be seen where his flesh had been scraped off by rubble and dirt.

Narrowing her eyes, she remained carefully still. “Maximilien.”

“Valkyrie.” Maximilien nodded to her, kept that grin upon his face that always sent chills down her spine. “Always so quick to respond. Unlike your green friend.” A pause, a soft hum. “I quite like you better. So, what do you say? Should we do this the nice way and you let me get away, or should I break both your arms again?”

Feeling her blood run cold, she gripped her gun harder. She couldn’t act when she was all alone, knew that Maximilien was too strong and too fast for her to handle all alone, and yet she couldn’t do nothing. But she didn’t even dare to look away from him, couldn’t search the rooftops for familiar green and the shine of metal.

Maximilien tilted his head, took a look around them in her stead. “Seems like your precious partner isn’t showing up.” He looked back at Valkyrie, met her eye. He took a step forward, flexing his fingers hidden in leather gloves. “Guess we don’t have a choice then.”

Without thinking, Valkyrie fired her gun. Missed. Shot again, and Maximilien easily waved the bullet away. Quickly, she put some more distance between them, hovering in the air and outside his reach.

He paused, looking up at her, grin never faltering. “That’s no fun. But I guess fear takes hold of even the bravest of hearts.”

Biting the inside of her cheek, she watched helplessly as he turned away from her. Escaping the scene as if he had all the time in the world. And Valkyrie couldn’t fight him all alone, couldn’t possibly hope to win, and yet she couldn’t let him get away.

Sparrow was nowhere to be seen.

But she could buy him some more time.

Taking a deep breath, willing her heart to slow its rush, she grabbed her staff. Not giving herself time for second thoughts, she dove down towards Maximilien. Swung her staff against his head and-

He twisted around, as if he’d known all along, grabbing her staff before it could connect to the backside of his head. He clicked his tongue, and she was so close that their noses almost touched, red in his irises as the machine within worked.

“And here I thought we were _friends_.”

He kicked her in her stomach, hard enough to send her flying. Her wings didn’t manage to catch her and she slid over rubble and stone and twisted metal, felt it bite into her skin. Her staff clattering down next to her.

Coughing, she quickly stood up and grabbed her staff again, turned once more towards Maximilien. He seemed completely unfazed, brushing away some dust from his suit.

Her wings fluttered and she was airborne once more, swinging her staff against the villain. He caught it once more, just before it could hit his stomach, and Valkryie quickly pulled up her gun with her free hand, aiming it at his head. She saw his eyes widen, if only for a moment, before her arm was twisted around her back, gravel against her cheek and a knee on her back between her wings.

She tried to move, wriggling under the grip, tried to reach for her staff before her other arm was in a firm grip as well.

“Slippery, slippery,” Maximilien mused, leaned down and if he’d been more human than machine, perhaps she’d felt his breath against her neck. “Which one should I break first? Left or right?”

Gasping for air, Valkyrie couldn’t possibly answer him. She didn’t even dare to move again, too afraid of the pain she knew would come. Because even if she experienced pain on almost a daily basis, it was never easy and never especially pleasant. Instead, all she could do was brace for it, biting down on her lower lip until she tasted blood. Maximilien tightened his grip on her arms, ready to snap them.

“You should stop demolishing the buildings of your rivals,” came Sparrow’s familiar voice, full of that smug humor that hid his worry so well. “It’s considered rude.”

Immediately, Maximilien released Valkyrie, twisting around to face the superhero. Because if anyone could match his speed and strength, it was Sparrow.

Coughing, Valkyrie scrambled to her feet, grabbing her staff and put some distance between her and the villain. “You took your time.”

Sparrow shifted his gaze to her where he sat crouched on a crumbled wall, sword already drawn and resting on his shoulder. And Valkyrie didn’t understand how he did it, hiding his true colors behind a lazy smile and relaxed posture, as if he couldn’t slice someone in two within a heartbeat.

“My apologies. I had to help some people to safety first.” He gave her a wink, standing up and looking Maximilien over. “Long time no see, Max! Blowing up buildings and threatening pretty women.” A pause, Sparrow tilting his head slightly to the side. “You haven’t changed your habits, have you?”

Maximilien grumbled something under his breath, fingers twitching. He had his back to Valkyrie, but she knew that she couldn’t move without having Sparrow on the same page. If she did anything too hasty, she might get hurt, or even killed, before Sparrow even had the chance to move to her rescue.

She shifted her grip on her staff, rolled her shoulders. The movement caught Sparrow’s gaze, and he gave no indication that he’d understood before his gaze flickered over to Maximilien again. But that was the nice thing of being partners; it didn’t take much to be on the same page of things.

As Valkyrie moved, so did Sparrow.

He was quicker than her, of course he was, and Maximilien jumped away from his swinging sword, the blade gracing his throat and revealing more shining metal. But as he jumped back, he jumped straight into Valkyrie’s swinging staff.

He twisted around, tried to catch or possibly even avoid her weapon, but Sparrow didn’t allow him any opportunity to get away, moving in rhythm to keep him trapped between the two heroes. Sword moving as fast as Valkyrie was used to, cutting up that nice suit as Maximilien dodged sword and staff alike.

But underneath all that metal and machinery, he was still human. And humans had a tendency of making mistakes.

He took a stumbling step, curses falling from his lips as Valkyrie’s staff hit his stomach, sending him to the ground. It was quickly over from there, with metal crushed under a boot and a sharp blade pressed against his throat.

“ _Fuck_!” he spat on the ground, fury in his eyes and Valkyrie carefully stood by his head, staff still in her hands. He wriggled a bit on the ground, reminding her of a worm in dirt. “You fucking _insolent brats_! I would’ve gotten away if it weren’t for you!” He turned his gaze to Valkyrie, blinking up and his lips caught that confident grin again. “You’re nothing without him! _Nothing_! And one day, one day _soon_ , both of you will crumble!”

Valkyrie glanced up, caught Sparrow’s gaze and he shrugged at her. It eased her mind, if only a little bit. It wasn’t uncommon for criminals to threaten them once they’ve been caught, and Maximilien had threatened them plenty of times before. It wasn’t anything they hadn’t heard a hundredth times already.  

“Sure, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night,” Sparrow said with a grin. “You might need it. I heard prison cells aren’t very comfortable.”

Maximilien spat and wriggled, and the heroes remained silent. There was nothing to say. Many had died that day and they both knew who would get most of the blame. And so they kept all of their “ _if only”_ to themselves.

The police showed up not too much later, putting Maximilien in special handcuffs that he couldn’t possibly break or escape from. They had learned their lesson three years earlier.

“You won’t keep me locked up forever!” Maximilien all but roared at them as the police led him away. “I will get my revenge! On you and your _precious_ city! Just you watch!”

Sighing, Valkyrie shook her head, arms crossed over her chest. If she hadn’t deserved a weekend of relaxation before, she _definitely_ deserved it now.

“If we’re all good, I’m leaving,” she said and Genji nodded, gaze lingering on her arms for only a second. She rubbed them consciously, already knowing she’d have bruises until the next day. “See you around.”

She all but escaped the scene, wings taking her away as fast as she could fly, landing safely in an empty parking lot. There, behind a pillar, she let her transformation fade away, leaving her in her dirty clothes and scarf pulled up.

She allowed herself to linger for only a moment before she set out to find Fareeha. There were shelters all around the city, leftovers from the Overwatch era, but the closest one wasn’t in use and she doubted Fareeha would’ve gone there. Instead, she headed towards the closest subway entrance.

“Angela?”

Blinking, she looked to her right, seeing Genji approach her with worry written all over him. He was just as dirty as her, right cheek wiped with mud and she couldn’t even imagine what he had done and where he had been when everything turned into chaos.

Bus she was glad he seemed safe.

“Genji, I-“ she took a breath. “This is dangerous! I think I saw Valkyrie and Sparrow a while ago.”

“You did?” Genji paused, fingers gently brushing by her arm as if he was unsure if he could touch her or not. After all, they were only friends, and even then they didn’t talk a lot. “Are you here alone? Where is Fareeha?”

“We got separated,” she answered, and it wasn’t exactly a lie, just not all of the truth. “I’m looking for her, and I think everyone hid underground.”

“That’d make sense.” Genji nodded, gently tugging her along towards the subway. “Come, I’ll help you find her.”

He never gave her an explanation as to why he was there in the first place, and Angela didn’t press the matter.

She supposed they all had their secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the main villain, I just needed someone evil enough without using Reaper as the end boss. So, Maximilien it is, since we don't know a lot about his character. I've taken some liberties with it, but I hope this is fine! 
> 
> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really blown away by the positive response to this fic! Thank you all so much! 
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Rain smattered against the window, the sound a pleasant background noise in the classroom. Occasionally, someone would cough, or the clock above the whiteboard would give a loud _tick_ , filling in the silence left by the professor as he thought.

“He’s been stuck on that sentence for 30 seconds by now,” Fareeha leaned over and whispered, glancing between the professor and her watch.

Angela grimaced. She knew she should probably feel some form of sympathy for him, but this was also the same professor who never let them use the bathroom in the middle of class. Angela couldn’t count how many times she’s gotten late to an emergency, how many people who had gotten badly hurt, how many who had been close to losing their _lives_ , all because of him.

So no, she had no sympathy to spare.

“Going on one minute now,” Fareeha whispered again.

In front of them, Jesse turned slightly to grin at them. “Seems like I win the bet.”

With a huff, Fareeha picked up her wallet and handed Jesse enough money for a cup of coffee, and just as Jesse turned back around, the professor gave a loud cough. And then he continued speaking as if he hadn’t taken a whole minute break.

“-about knee dislocation. It can cause heavy damage to-“

Resting her cheek in her hand, Angela scribbled down what the professor said in her notebook, but she found it harder and harder to focus on his voice. After all, he sounded hollow, as if he too would rather be anywhere but there.

She stifled a yawn when the professor took yet another break, Fareeha timing it again, and she turned her gaze to the window. The sky was dark with heavy clouds, and it had been raining for almost a week. She didn’t mind too much; she had a cute umbrella and an even cuter raincoat, and it was the perfect weather for sitting inside and watching a movie. Rain also meant that not a lot of people ventured outside, which in turn meant fewer people who tried to rob the stores or break out of prison or anything else that might need the attention of Valkyrie and Sparrow. But that was mostly just during the day.

“You’re tired already?” Fareeha whispered, worry in her eyes. “You’ve had three cups of coffee since lunch.” A pause. “Do you have trouble sleeping again?”

Angela gave her a weak smile. _Trouble_ _sleeping_ was only scratching the surface. Whenever Maximilien showed up and made a big show about himself, criminal activity always rose during the night for the weeks that followed, rain or not. She and Sparrow were prepared for it, but their sleeping schedules still suffered.

“I’ve been studying,” she whispered back, a lie easy on her tongue because she had always been the one to stay up late for good grades. Fareeha swallowed the lie whole. “Nothing to worry about, I’m just a bit anxious about that test coming up.”

Nodding, Fareeha turned back to her watch, and as the professor started talking again, before he passed the one minute mark, Jesse turned around and handed back the money from before. She quickly put it away, probably intent on keeping it.

They went back to taking notes, Angela yawning once more. Then Fareeha nudged her ever so gently and Angela caught her gaze, saw her wide grin as she nodded over to Genji. And she leaned in close, so close that only Angela could hear her when she whispered. “Seems like you’re not the only one who’s tired.”

Angela followed Fareeha’s gaze and froze.

Because in the seat in front of Fareeha sat Genji, and Angela hadn’t paid much attention to him that class, both because of how tired she was and because he’d been uncharacteristically quiet. Now she saw why. He was asleep, head resting in his folded arms, hair somewhat ruffled and it made Angela want to lean forward and drag her fingers through it.

He looked peaceful like that, eyes closed and lips slightly parted as he softly breathed.

“Huh,” she mumbled. “That’s a first.”

“Right?” Fareeha glanced over at Genji. “I’ve never seen him asleep before. Perhaps he’s been studying as well-“ She interrupted herself, grin turning into a frown. “No wait, Genji probably wouldn’t.”

Angela didn’t need to hear the rest to understand what Fareeha was implying. They had obviously heard the rumors. The latest was about a redhead in the philosophy program who apparently was a real beauty and quick with her tongue. So of course, there were other things than _studying_ that could keep one busy during the night.

“Looks like we both had rough nights,” Angela muttered and Fareeha clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to swallow down her laughter, both afraid of their professor’s rage for disturbing class and of waking Genji. Angela smiled and nudged her side, and Fareeha swatted her away.

“Speaking of,” she whispered, gesturing towards Genji who shifted slightly in his sleep. “We need to talk.”

A pause and Angela frowned, question already on her lips. But the professor coughed and raised his voice, and they both quickly turned back to their notebooks.

For the rest of class, anxiousness rested like a lump in her throat. She knew what Fareeha wanted to talk about, or could at least guess the topic, and it was something she had purposely avoided for the last two years. Sometimes, she figured, it was easier to live on without any change. Change could be good, but it could also be terrifyingly bad.

She wasn’t sure she was willing to take the risk.

 

*

 

An hour later, Jesse was trying to wake Genji up. He shook his shoulders gently, but Genji only groaned and shifted away from him, mumbling “ _five more minutes_ ”.

“Should we help?” Angela asked, packing down her books in her bag, casting worrying glances over at the pair. But Jesse turned and shook his head slowly.

“Nah, I’ve got this. It’s nearly impossible to wake the sleeping beauty.” He gave her a wink. “Though I heard a princess’ kiss would do the trick. Wanna try?”

Feeling warmth flood her cheeks, Angela quickly shook her head, heading towards the door while Fareeha’s laughter followed. She was mortified, even though she knew both Fareeha and Jesse were aware of her crush, but the very thought _of kissing Genji_ was enough to make her want to sink through the floor and never reappear again.

Fareeha quickly caught up with her before she could exit the building, still laughing softly.

“You just missed a great opportunity.” She grinned and they headed out into the rain, huddled close together under Angela’s umbrella, since Fareeha had forgotten hers. “A free kiss! I honestly don’t think Genji would’ve minded if a cute girl woke him up like that. I know _I_ wouldn’t.”

Angela huffed, tilting the umbrella slightly. Water dripped down Fareeha’s neck and she gave a yelp before she pressed even closer, hands covering Angela’s as she tilted the umbrella right again. She received a sour look before Fareeha shook her head with a small smile on her lips, all forgiven.

“So,” Angela said, trying to change the topic to something that didn’t warm her cheeks. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Cookies.” A pause, Angela giving her a questioning look. “Mom is coming home later today, so I’m making cookies. And you are invited.”

“Your mom is coming home?” A smile spread on her lips, excitement in the bounce of her steps. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? It’s been a whole year! How long will she be staying?”

Fareeha shrugged, but she couldn’t keep that proud smile off her lips, and Angela figured that this was news she’d been dying to share. “She promised to stay for a month or two. At least over the anniversary.”

“Right,” Angela nodded, her excitement dulling just slightly over the reminder. “The anniversary.”

They fell into silence as they walked home to Fareeha, and although they didn’t have anything to say, the silence felt comfortable. It was a heavy topic, about the anniversary, and Angela had never been able to figure out why Ana did that to herself. To return every year during those specific days, to hear it all over the news, even though it obviously brought her so much pain. Angela didn’t know why she did it, nor why it affected her so.

The rain had begun to let up a bit as they arrived at Fareeha’s home. The sky was still dark, the threat of thunder in the air, and if Fareeha hadn’t promised freshly baked cookies, she would’ve hurried home before the sky opened up once more.

Fareeha’s home smelled of scented candles, like apple pie and autumn, and it was a scent that always made Angela relax. It reminded her of her childhood, of the many hours they’d spent playing in the living room while Ana was baking, or how they used to build a fort of pillows and blankets before watching horror movies. Sometimes she missed those easier, simpler times, when death wasn’t threatening her every other day.

They hung up their coats in the shower to drip off, along with the umbrella, before they headed into the kitchen. Fareeha hadn’t made a lot of changes to it since they were children, only changing the curtains for every season. But since Ana had left home to travel, leaving Fareeha all alone in the house while she was studying, small personal things had claimed their spots. Like the new radio sitting in the window, or the many cooking books with both healthy recipes and sweet desserts.

Angela took a seat at the table, chin resting in her hand as she stayed out of Fareeha’s way. She prepared what she needed for the cookies, knowing the recipe by heart, and Angela knew that if she tried to help she would be banished from the kitchen. She was good at fighting monsters and catching criminals, but she couldn’t bake even the simplest of cookies even if her life depended on it.

She had tried to get Fareeha to teach her once, and it had ended up with a smoke-covered kitchen and worried neighbors coming over to help them silence the fire alarm. After that, Angela was only allowed in the kitchen under the condition that she didn’t touch anything, good intent or not.

But it was relaxing in its own way, to watch Fareeha bake. Because in that moment, as she moved around the kitchen and muttered ingredients under her breath, to the hum of the oven and the rain against the window, it felt like there were no worries in the world. And to the softness of Fareeha’s mumbling and the sweet scent of vanilla and almond, Angela felt her eyelids drop.

It wouldn’t hurt anyone, she figured, if she closed her eyes for just a second.

 

*

 

“Angela?”

A soft hand on her shoulder and she startled awake, blinking frantically as she tried to assess the situation. Where were was the danger? How many casualties? Was Sparrow there? Where was her gun-

“Angela!” Fareeha shook her shoulder again and Angela blinked once, twice, chasing away most of the sleep. And she realized she had gripped Fareeha’s arm, holding onto her dark blue shirt for dear life. “Seriously, what kind of dream did you have?”

“Sorry,” she mumbled, quickly releasing her friend and trying to discreetly wipe away the trail of drool on her chin. Sometime during her nap, Fareeha had started the radio, old songs filling the room on low volume.

She should probably count herself lucky that she’d fallen asleep at Fareeha’s home and not in class. She knew her friend would never let her live it down, just like Jesse was probably bugging Genji about his nap right now. And that was the last thing she needed.

“Sorry for waking you. I would’ve let you sleep longer, but the cookies are done,” Fareeha said, smile on her lips. “And they’re the yummiest when warm.”

Nodding, Angela stretched her arms high above her head, feeling her shoulders pop slightly. The whole apartment smelled of freshly baked cookies, that heavenly scent of almond and vanilla, and she took a deep breath. If Fareeha hadn’t decided to become a physiotherapist, she’d make a lovely baker.

The kitchen counters were covered in cookies, and Fareeha grabbed a couple, handing one to Angela before sitting down across from her. The cookie was still warm in her hand, almost falling apart before she had a chance to taste it.

She took a bite and a soft noise left her lips, eyes falling closed in bliss as the cookie melted on her tongue. When she heard Fareeha chuckle, she opened one eye to grin back at her. “These are _so good_. You should treat Satya to these and she’ll fall immediately for you.”

Fareeha grinned back, a mischievous glint in her eyes and Angela would’ve probed for more information. After all, the only thing she’d heard of their date was that it “went well” and Satya tasted sweet like “sunlight in the morning”.

“That’s as good as I’ll be able to sugar-coat it,” Fareeha said once she’d finished her cookie, brushing away some crumbles from the corner of her mouth, and not giving Angela any chance to ask of her own love-life. “So I’m just gonna say it. You haven’t made any progress with Genji, have you?”

Almost dropping her cookie, Angela fumbled after it and ended up with large crumbles in her hand. She kept her gaze on the broken cookie, trying to avoid looking at Fareeha, knowing that her friend’s expression was growing more serious by the second. Arms crossed over her chest, giving Angela that perfected _disappointed mom_ -look that seemed to run in the Amari family.

But this was the topic Angela had consciously avoided herself, and she didn’t want a reminder of how poorly she was handling her crush. But she could hardly avoid it any longer when Fareeha brought it up, and she was actually a bit surprised it had gone three whole years before Fareeha took the matter into her own hands.

“You had a perfect opportunity to talk to him during the Max-attack!” She said when it became clear that Angela wasn’t going to answer, and she narrowed her eyes. “You could’ve asked him out on a date!”

“To my defense,” Angela began, swallowed down the cookie-crumbles, and then tried again. “I had lost you. I was scared. I was trying to find you and the last thing on my mind was to ask Genji for a date. He was kind enough to help me find you!”

“And I really appreciate it, but as far as I know, that was also the longest you’ve spent with him alone outside of class.” Fareeha gave her a pointed look. “It’s been three years. You need to take the first step since he obviously won’t, and you’ll need a plan-“

She paused, words dying on her tongue as a smile slowly formed on her lips. A light in her eyes that made Angela lean back in her chair, recognizing that look all too well.

“Fareeha,” she began slowly. “Last time you had _a plan_ , it didn’t end very well.”

“I’m not suggesting we _kidnap_ him,” Fareeha huffed back without any malice in her voice, grin widening. “We just need to force him to spend some time with you. As soon as he does, he’ll realize how amazing you really are! And then you can declare your mutual love, get married and live happily ever after! _Perfect_!”

“We see each other almost every day in class and elsewhere, and it’s because we’re friends with Jesse,” Angela pointed out, feeling a light panic settle in her stomach. Fareeha was great at coming up with plans, but just not as great at executing them. “Besides, I want Genji to _like_ me, not the opposite. And if he spends time with me, then perhaps he’ll realize that I’m not that great at all.”

Fareeha blinked at her. “You’re kidding, right? You kinda need to socialize with your crush for things to develop. You can’t sit by to the side and wait and hope he miraculously notices you! Before you know it, someone else will have snatched him up!” A pause. “Perhaps that redhead already has!”

Angela kept her gaze averted, didn’t know what to think of that. Genji didn’t flirt with her like the rumors said he did with everyone else, and he didn’t sigh lovingly when he looked at her like he did with Valkyrie. He barely even looked at her at all. If he didn’t occasionally talk to her, those rare moments when he asked if she needed help or when they were talking about superheroes, she might’ve started to believe that he didn’t even know she existed.

“I’m just,” she began, took a deep breath, dared to look up and meet Fareeha’s gaze. “We’ve known each other, or at least _somewhat_ known each other, for three years. And during that time he hasn’t really spoken to me. As you said, that was the longest time I’ve spent with him since I first met him, and it was during a devastating attack that killed a hundredth people!” A pause, a sight that made her sink deep in her chair. “And he likes Valkyrie. I can’t possibly hope to compete against that.”

Fareeha blinked at her, one eyebrow raised, and she remained silent for so long that Angela began to shift uncomfortable in her chair.

“Alright, look,” Fareeha began, unfolding her arms and leaning a bit over the table. “You are the sweetest and most caring person I’ve ever met. You’re always the first to think of the safety of others whenever some multi-billionaire decides to fuck up the city, and you always put yourself at risk if it means someone else can survive.” A pause, and Fareeha narrowed her eyes. “We gotta talk about that, by the way. But if anything, you could’ve been a superhero and you’d make the city proud! You aren’t Valkyrie and can’t compete to her, no, but you’re something _better!_ ”

Angela smiled at her, feeling her cheeks warm. She had never thought of herself that way, had always seen it as her job as a superhero to keep other people safe, even as her civilian self.

“You are _you_ ,” Fareeha continued, reaching over to hold Angela’s hands in her own. “ _Nothing_ can top that, superhero or no. You’re amazing! Genji just doesn’t know that yet, so we need to make him realize!”

Trying to swallow down the doubt, the fear that had followed her for so long, she finally nodded. She loved Fareeha, she was the greatest friend anyone could have and she counted herself lucky to have met her, to have grown up alongside her. And once again, she thought that Fareeha should’ve been the superhero, not her.

“Alright.” Angela gave a weak smile. But if anyone could help her improve her chances with Genji, it was Fareeha. “What’s your plan?”

“First off, we need a good environment,” Fareeha said, giving Angela’s hands a final squeeze before withdrawing. “Somewhere you don’t have to talk a lot, but can still be close.” A pause, and she picked up a cookie. “Then there’s the matter of how to get him there. Knowing him, it’s probably unlikely that he’ll just agree to a date, so we need to trick him.”

Angela picked up another cookie of her own, nibbling at the edge. “Perhaps if you and Jesse came along as well?”

“Perfect!” Fareeha snapped her fingers. “Then we can conveniently _not_ show up, leaving the two of you all alone!”

Swallowing down the last of her cookie, Angela gave Fareeha a doubtful look. She’d wanted her friends there for support, and had thought that perhaps Fareeha and Jesse could leave them alone for a bit, allowing them to talk. But refusing to show up altogether, leaving the two of them in an awkward silence and without any clue what to do with themselves? She’d rather get shot again. 

“You seem terrified, but look. Genji is kind enough to stay with you when he figures that Jesse and I won’t show up.” Fareeha nodded slowly to herself. “So instead of getting some short, limited time with him that you’ll probably be too shy to use anyway, you’ll get a whole date-appropriate time with him! Like, a whole afternoon or something! You should definitely get your chance to talk with him then, to show him the real you! And if he doesn’t fall for you, then his head is a lot thicker than I thought.”

A soft laugh fell from Angela’s lips and she slowly shook her head, not really knowing if she should thank Fareeha or not. She sometimes wondered what she’d do without her friend. “If I can survive a whole afternoon alone with him, without making a fool out of myself, then there’s nothing I can’t do, I suppose.”

“That’s the spirit!” Fareeha grinned, standing up from the table, hands on her hips. “So, while I take care of the dishes, you can start to figure out how to confess your undying love for him.”

She winked, completely ignoring Angela’s weak complaints and flaming cheeks. And while Fareeha had water up to her elbows, swaying slowly back and forth in rhythm to the music, Angela found herself staring out the window. She should probably head home before the rain turned into a storm, even if it meant missing Ana, but there would be plenty of time to see her before she took her abrupt leave once more. And Angela had a lot on her mind as it was.

After all, how could she possibly just confess? How did it even happen? She couldn’t just blurt it out, and she couldn’t wait too long either or else it might never happen. But perhaps she didn’t need to tell him, but could simply show him. Although, openly _flirting_ wasn’t exactly her style, and she’d probably die of embarrassment if she tried to flirt with Genji.

Seriously, how did Sparrow do it so easily? As if it was nothing, like talking about the weather?

She grumbled, chewing lightly on her lower lip as she glared at the rain outside. In the distance, a flash lit up the sky for barely a heartbeat.

“Perhaps I should go,” she said, and Fareeha turned her head. “I would love to meet Ana, but I should get home before I can’t anymore.”

“You sure? I can drive you,” Fareeha offered, putting away a clean plate to dry before withdrawing both her hands from the water, reaching for a towel. “I feel bad for letting you walk home in this weather.”

“Don’t worry, a little rain won’t kill me!” Angela smiled and stood up, grabbing yet another cookie. No, she’d survived a lot worse than some rain. “Besides, you need to be home when Ana comes.”

Fareeha hesitated at that, wiping her hands dry, looking as if she wanted to protest and yet knew she couldn’t, because Angela was right. She had waited for this day a long time, and it would be a shame if she missed the grand moment just because it was raining outside.

“It’s not that far, I’ll be fine,” Angela reassured and Fareeha nodded slowly. She went to grab her coat and umbrella, which had dried somewhat, and flipped up the hood of the coat. Giving Fareeha a warm smile, she reached up and gave her a short hug. “I’ll text you once I get home.”

“You better,” Fareeha answered, giving her that same stern look Ana used to give them when they were children and planning something dangerous. “Or else I’ll assume you’ve tripped in a puddle or something.”

Angela smiled, gripping her umbrella tighter, and Fareeha waved as she headed out into the rain. If not for her trusted umbrella, she would’ve been wet to the core in a matter of seconds.

She walked quickly, hoping to get home before the thunder reached the area, her thoughts already on what she should cook for dinner. Perhaps she should make something with the salmon that’s been in her freezer for a while, which Valkyrie had received not too long ago after saving a fisherman from some thieves, _although_ she had planned on saving the fish for a special occasion. Perhaps she should just settle for noodles again, but it had been a while since she’d ordered pizza, _but_ it would be too cruel to force someone out in this weather. So perhaps she should just-

A noise. The faint sound of an alarm.

If she had been anyone else but who she was, she might’ve not heard it, or she might’ve written it off as a sound carried by the wind. Or she’d simply continued walking, deciding that it was none of her business. 

But a superhero had to work strange hours, through any weather and despite any personal inconvenience. And so it was with a soft sigh, resisting the urge to pinch her nose and continue walking, that she headed into an alley and called upon her transformation. Warmth overtook her only for a second, because with the umbrella gone, the rain found its way to her skin, soaking through her clothes and armor. Plastering her hair to her cheeks.

“Great,” she muttered, took a deep breath, and then began running. Flying in this weather would be hard, the air was unpredictable while filled with rain and winds calling upon a storm, and she’d rather not get hurt. Again.

She rounded a corner, slowing down as she heard voices. She counted at least two men and one woman, and they seemed to argue with each other as they piled boxes on the back of a truck. The scene didn’t seem too out of the ordinary, if it hadn’t been for the broken window to the small corner store that always had a discount on chocolate bars, and for the fact that the people climbed in and out of said broken window.

Asserting the situation, she decided that she should be able to handle this alone. A quick entrance and a quick exit, and then she’d be home in her couch underneath three blankets and with a hot cup of coffee in her hands.

Gripping her staff, she sneaked forward. The thieves seemed too swallowed up by their argument about the rain, something about _picking a better time because my toes are ice cold_ , to even notice Valkyrie as she approached. The first man didn’t even turn around as she came up just behind him, taking a moment to frown at their lowered guards, before she knocked him out with a hard hit to the head. He fell down and she quickly caught him before he could get hurt in the fall.

“Fuck, these are heavy!” The other man grumbled, climbing out of the window and stepping carefully around the broken glass. “Jonny, come help!” A pause. “Jonny, you fucker. Come help!”

The man shifted the box blocking his sight, trying to see where his companion was. Valkyrie moved quickly, swinging her staff at his legs and knocking him off his feet, and he fell with a yelp. The boxes tumbled down on the ground around him, the objects within scattered in a mess of wires and cogs.

The man’s scream must have alerted the last thief, and Valkyrie quickly knocked him unconscious before turning towards the small store. Inside, she could see a woman putting down some boxes, nearing the window with wide eyes.

“Guys?” she called, worry in her voice and she didn’t seem all that threatening. But then again, it could be dangerous to judge a book by its cover. Especially in this line of work.

“They’re fine, just unconscious,” Valkyrie called, staff ready in her hands and never lowering her guard even for a single second. “Come out without any trouble and you’ll soon be in a warm police car.” A pause, no movement from within. “Don’t make it harder than it has to be.”

The woman shifted, leaned to glance out the window and Valkyrie flexed her wings, the golden glow making her visible in the dark despite the rain. The woman seemed to freeze, thoughts running wild and she most likely thought of an escape plan, the best way to get away from the superhero. But then she took a hesitant step forward.

“You’re that superhero, aren’t you?”

“Yes, so there’s no point in running,” Valkyrie answered, a watchful eye on the woman as she slowly walked through the window. “Don’t try anything. Robbing a corner store looks a lot better than attempted murder.”

The woman swallowed and slowly, as if the rain was making it hard to move, she raised her hands above her head. With a weak voice, she spoke. “Please don’t kill me.”

Valkyrie blinked. “I don’t kill people.”

Not often at least, not when it could be avoided. Sparrow was the one with the blades that could do harm, the one who never hesitated to cut and slice, who reasoned that one life lost was an acceptable cost for a hundredth more who might live. The most harm Valkyrie could do was knock people unconscious or stun them with her gun.

The woman gave her a doubtful look and Valkyrie sighed. “Put your hands on your head. I’ll tie you up.”

She grabbed some of the wires scattered about and the woman didn’t protest as her hands were tied behind her back, her feet tied as well to keep her from running. Nor did she speak a single word, only watched with wide eyes as Valkyrie tied up her companions, leaning them both against the wall. She paused then, as she realized that they’d probably get sick or worse from the rain, and she leaned the two men together in the hopes that they would keep their warmth. At least until the cops arrived.

She gave a short nod, grabbed her staff, and turned to leave. If she called the cops as soon as she detransformed, they should be there within five minutes, which shouldn’t be enough to give the thieves lasting damage from the cold.

“Miss?” The woman shifted where she sat, shuddered a bit in the cold. Hair plastered to her face, and Valkyrie realized then that it might take longer than five minutes before they were granted some warmth. “You’re just gonna leave us like this?”

With a sigh leaving her lips, already mourning her warm home and three layers of blankets and freshly made cup of coffee, she left the scene with the woman calling after her. Rounding a corner and making sure no one saw her, she released her transformation. She flipped open her umbrella, picked up her phone from the inner pocket of her coat, and called the police. Then she put the umbrella on the ground and let the transformation claim her once more. This time, the umbrella stayed where she put it and she picked it up once more, the sound of rain smattering against plastic filling the air.

When she returned to the crime scene, the men had still not woken up and the woman hadn’t moved. But she kept her eye on Valkyrie, as if she didn’t trust her earlier words that she didn’t kill.

“If they were to ask, tell the police that they may keep the umbrella,” Valkyrie said, lowering the umbrella so it covered the three thieves. It didn’t help against the water that already soaked through their clothes, but Valkyrie supposed it was something. And sure, it was a cute umbrella and all, but she could easily get a new one since it hadn’t been very expensive to begin with. She doubted the police would be able to trace it back to her real identity anyway.

The woman nodded and said nothing, only pressed closer to the two men. And only when the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, did Valkyrie take her leave.

She rounded a corner, but didn’t let her transformation fall. If she detransformed, she would have to walk home in only a coat. She was already soaked to the bone while transformed, and although the detransformation would erase some of it, she didn’t really feel like going through it all again. With her personal belongings in her pockets. So, she decided, it would be both faster and easier to walk home while transformed. It wouldn’t be much trouble, as long as she kept to the shadows and out of sight.

Tucking her wings close to her body, she began to run. Water splashed up with every puddle she ran through, but her boots were high and she was drenched anyway, yet she wrinkled her nose, trying to think of the warm blankets and coffee and perhaps a good movie as well.

She ran into a narrow alleyway with a simple metal roof above, keeping most of the rain out. It was the fastest way home and she picked up her pace a bit, rounding a sharp corner. And slammed straight into someone.

Instincts taking over before she could think, she twirled around, pressed the other person against the wall. Gun pressed just underneath their chin. She felt the other person breathe, the jumpy motion of their chuckle, and when she glanced up, her eyes narrowed.

“What a greeting,” Sparrow mused, silly smile on his lips. His breath warm against her skin. “I would’ve preferred a kiss, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“Idiot,” she grumbled, relaxing just slightly to release him and put away her gun. She looked at him, noted how he was mostly dry. Must’ve transformed just a moment ago. “Next time you scare me like that, I’ll pull the trigger.”

Sparrow laughed, warm and brilliant, and closed the distance between them once more. “We should hurry. The police went by just a moment ago.”

“I know. I was the one who called them,” Valkyrie said, crossing her arms over her chest, craning her neck slightly to meet Sparrow’s eye. “Just a small robbery, nothing to worry about.”

“Yet you’re still transformed,” Sparrow noted, head tilting slightly to the side. “Not that I mind seeing you, I count myself lucky whenever I can. But I know you. And you never stay transformed for longer than necessary.” He reached out to her, brushing away her bangs that were plastered to her cheek. His touch warm upon her skin and she kept herself from leaning into it. “So please tell me, what’s on your mind this fine evening?”

She raised an eyebrow, kept his gaze and found it impossible to look away even though she knew she should. Just as it was impossible to move away from him, to put some distance between them, but he was so _warm_ and smelled so _nice_ , and she was cold and wanted nothing more than warmth. That, and an escape so she might actually not have to go on that date with Genji that would without fail turn into a miserable few hours for them both.

“I have a lot on my mind and I’d rather not think about it.” A pause, and when Genji leaned just a little closer to her, she found the strength to avert her gaze, focusing on the droplets falling off the roof above them. “Look, I’m really cold and tired and I just want to get home, bury myself underneath a couple of blankets, get something warm to drink and then watch horror movies until I fall asleep.”

“Horror movies? Something must trouble you greatly,” Sparrow murmured and this time, Valkyrie couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through her body. “For you to share such personal information. Or perhaps you’ve fallen for me and _accidentally_ let it slip?”

She scoffed at that, scowling at the water and refusing to look at him. “You wish. The only guy I like is-“

She slapped a hand against her mouth, eyes wide, and when she fearfully glanced up at Sparrow she saw that his eyes were just as wide. She forced herself to take a deep breath, would’ve run away if Sparrow wasn’t blocking the exit.

“So you like someone?” The smile Sparrow gave her didn’t feel forced, disappointed perhaps, but still true. “I’m glad for you. Have you told him? Or should I beat someone up for you?”

She gave a nervous laughter, grateful that Sparrow was who he was. That even when she slipped the way she did, he would still catch her and never probe for details he knew she couldn’t give.

“He doesn’t really know I exist,” she said, voice weaker than she would’ve liked and she cleared her throat. “We talk sometimes, but he likes another.” A soft laughter. “It’s silly. I know I should probably just give up.”

Sparrow was silent for a second, pain flashing by in his eyes before it was gone just as quickly again. His fingers brushed her cheek, wiping away some of the rain, and she let him without complaint, going completely still as his fingers traced the edge of her mask.

“I find that hard to believe. How can someone not love you?”

 _That’s the problem_ , she wanted to say, _he loves Valkyrie and not me_. But no words left her mouth. Instead she sighed, shook her head slowly and backed away. Sparrow’s hand fell from her cheek.

“I should leave. Before my transformation falters.” She shifted slightly before moving to walk around Sparrow, and he let her go without reaching out for her.

Sometimes she wanted to throw away her secret identity, embrace the danger and just _talk_ with him. Because he was her friend, as strange as it might seem. Fareeha was helping her, doing her best to match her and Genji together, but sometimes she wondered what Sparrow would say if he knew. If he _actually knew_ every side of her, what kind of advice he would give her. But that was a silly thought and she knew it couldn’t possibly happen.

At the edge of the rain, standing in a growing puddle, she paused. Arms wrapped around herself as she spoke. “How would you confess to your crush? How would you tell someone you love them?”

Where she had expected a light joke or another attempt to flirt with her, there was a pause instead. For a moment, she wondered if he had left her, as quiet as he could be. But then she felt a hint of warmth behind her, a soft sigh.

“It’s nothing you can force,” Sparrow said, voice barely louder than the rain. “You will know when to say it. It will feel right, in every inch of your body. And after you’ve said it once, it will be easier to say it again, even if your love doesn’t believe you.”

She didn’t know if that made things easier or worse. And she nodded, taking a deep breath. “Thank you.”

Without looking back, she stepped out into the rain, wanting nothing more but to get home and forget about everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with the next chapter! It didn't take as long to write this time, but don't expect an update every week! ;)
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> Please enjoy!
> 
> PLEASE NOTE! This chapter contains mentions of a dislocated shoulder in the first part. Nothing in detail, but there nonetheless.

Wind rushed by Valkyrie as she took air, putting distance between herself and the raging robot. Her loose hair whipped around her and she was desperately trying to gather it in her hands.

It might seem like such a strange priority to have, especially when Sparrow was struggling on the ground against the robot, and she knew that. But the _one thing_ that was different between her superhero persona and her civilian self was her hair, and from the moment she’d become Valkyrie she never had her hair tied up. Just as how she never let her hair down while transformed. And it was _bad_ , she knew, because such a detail could mean the end for her if the media caught wind. All it took was a good picture, published on the internet, and all it took was one person to recognize her, and it would all be over.

Fumbling a bit, she quickly ripped off a bit of her skirt and tied it around her hair. It barely held together, would probably be undone by a ruthless gust of wind if she wasn’t careful, but it was enough to give her courage to descend. 

She gripped her staff and as she neared the robot she lunged down, hitting it on its head. A few sparks rose, but nothing more as it twisted to grasp after her. She quickly moved away from its claw-like hands, wondering briefly why anyone would create a robot with _claws for hands_ , pushing away from its head to land on the ground next to Sparrow.

“Can’t seem to crack open this tin-can,” he said, humor in his voice despite the flame in his eyes. “Got any ideas?”

“Well,” Valkyrie began, swapping her staff for her gun. “It seems to only be able to focus on one of us at the time. I’ll distract it so you can look for some kind of weakness. There must be some way to defeat it.”

Nodding, Sparrow drew the sword he carried on his back, eyes on the robot as he spoke once more. “By the way, you look very cute with your hair down.”

Before Valkyrie could answer, warmth already spreading over her cheeks, Sparrow ran towards the robot. Fumbling with her gun, Valkyrie began to run as well, shooting towards their enemy.

The bullets slid over the smooth metal, leaving only sparks in their trails, but the robot stopped stomping on a parked car, turning to them. Sparrow jumped out of the way as it reached for him, and Valkyrie took aim once more. Whenever it turned to Sparrow, whenever it lashed out or whenever she could hear the cogs within scrape, she shot against its head. It paused, turning to her until it noticed Sparrow once more.

Slowly but surely, Sparrow could jump around it, looking for any loose wires or open hatches, and ever so slowly the robot walked closer to Valkyrie. She backed away in time with its approach, feeling confident up to the point where her back pressed up against a car.

As if noticing that Valkyrie was trapped, the robot completely ignored Sparrow, heading straight towards her. She stood her ground, unable to flee in time from the charging robot, shooting against its face. Perhaps it was foolish, the bullets bouncing off like they were nothing, but she convinced herself that it bought Sparrow a little more time.

The robot reached her, eyes flashing a warning red, and with her heart stuck in her throat, she braced herself. A claw-like hand reached out for her and she threw herself forward, tumbling to the ground and swiftly getting back up on her feet again, breaking into a run.

It would’ve worked, if the robot hadn’t been ready for her maneuver.

It twisted its body, and Valkyrie saw Sparrow’s eyes widen in fear before she felt the claws dig into her left arm. She was pulled from the ground like how a child violently plays with a ragdoll, thrown about in the air and she felt her shoulder give a _pop_ before pain shot up all the way to her spine. A scream tore its way from her throat and she tried to scramble against the robot’s hold.

Slowing down its trashing, the robot held her up in front of its face. Paused, as if it was actually looking at her. At her hair that had been torn from its tie, hanging loose in a mess around her shoulders, at her eyes framed by the mask, wide with a fear she couldn’t hope to hide.

Then, slowly, so painfully slowly in a horrid screech of metal against metal, it opened its mouth. Cogs turning within, looking like a meat grinder all the way down its throat.

“Shit, _shit!_ ” Valkyrie all but screamed, shooting frantically against the robot that didn’t seem bothered by it at all. It began to lower her, and the cogs sped up, anticipating the fresh meat.

“ _Valkyrie_!” Sparrow screamed, real and terrifying fear in his voice, but she couldn’t turn to look at him. Could only see the cogs and wheels turning, closing in painfully slow as if the robot took pleasure in the torture.

Then it gave a sudden jerk, and her heart stopped for but a second, gun slipping from her grip and falling down the throat of the beast. It gave a strange, chiming sound as it was mangled and destroyed. Smoke rising from within, sparks surrounding the wires at the bottom of its mouth, yet the robot didn’t stop.

“Wait,” she breathed, heart speeding up in panic. “ _Wires_. Sparrow! I know what to do!” She quickly glanced over at Sparrow, met his eye and gave him a reassuring nod before placing her feet against the edge of the robot’s mouth, buying herself just a couple more seconds. “Distract it!”

Nodding, Sparrow jumped into action, cutting against its legs. His sword slid over the fine metal, and Valkyrie still couldn’t wrap her mind around what kind of material it actually was, to withstand even Sparrow’s blade. But it worked, the robot pausing to look down at Sparrow. Lowering its hand just slightly.

Valkyrie gripped her staff, and with all the strength she could summon, she thrust the sharp end of the staff down against the wires. Unlike the metal, there was no resistance, the staff cutting through the wires like butter. Sparks rose, climbing up the staff before Valkyrie could let go, sending trembles through her arm and body. 

The robot gave a high-pitched whine, eyes and lamps blinking, smoke rising from its mouth and from every crack of its body. Metal bending at its shoulders to give way for flames rising within.

But the grip on her arm didn’t falter, claws digging deeper and she couldn’t find her voice to scream, tried to breathe through the pain. Tried to remind herself that she’d been through worse, even though this was one of the worst things on her list.

“Sparrow!” She shouted, looked down to see him widen the cracks opening up, but at the sound of her voice, his gaze snapped upwards. “I can’t get free!”

Immediately, Sparrow moved towards her, but the robot gave another jerk, falling to its knees, head bending low over its hand. Mouth still wide open, smoke almost covering the moving grinder within, and as if it was deflating over her, the head sank lower and lower.

“ _Sparrow_!”

A rush of air, that familiar warmth and that familiar scent surrounding her, and she glanced up to Sparrow standing on the large claws. He shifted his grip on the sword, met her gaze for only a second. “Hang on!”

She braced herself as he thrust down the sword, and it slid against the metal. He rose his sword once more, thrusted down again, creating a small dent in the metal. And as he tried to cut the robot, its jaws began to lower dangerously close, the air around them filled with the sound of broken cogs and metal.

“Sparrow, hurry up!” Valkyrie said, trying to hold on to the claws with her good hand to take some pressure off her hurt arm. The last thing she wanted was to lose her whole arm. She wasn’t so sure that would heal as easily.

Curses fell from Sparrow’s lips in time with the fall of his sword, creating a larger crack and smoke started to slip out. The hand gave a load groan as the metal started to give in, claws slipping from her arm and Valkyrie closed her eyes, waiting for the fall.

Her breath was stolen by the rushing wind, but she regained it quickly as she never met the ground. Instead, warm arms wrapped around her and air surrounded them as Sparrow landed safely. Behind them, the robot gave a final screech and groan, falling to the ground and crushing a car in a mess of glass and metal and leaking oil.

“Are you alright?” Sparrow asked and Valkyrie opened her eyes, met his worry. “Your arm doesn’t look too good.” A pause, fingers brushing by her wound and she sucked in a breath. “I think it’s dislocated.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, struggling slightly in his arms despite wanting to remain there for just a second longer, but she was a _superhero_ and not a damsel in distress. “It’ll heal after I set it right.”

Gently, he let her stand by herself, hand hovering just at the small of her back, gaze focused on her arm as if he could miraculously heal it with his thought alone. She swatted away his raised hand, already stumbling towards the nearby alley.

The click of a camera made her freeze, eyes wide as she turned and saw the people running towards them, phones raised to try and capture the scene of the parking lot. Panic rose in her throat, fingers gripping her hair to try and pull it up in a ponytail, but it slipped between her numb fingers and she couldn’t do it with one hand, and she took a stumbling step away, almost losing her balance, because they would _see_ and everything would be _ruined_ -

The sound of fabric ripped apart, and then fingers were in her hair, gently pulling it up in the ponytail she was so familiar with. She took a shaky breath, resisting the urge to lean back against Sparrow as he tied the fabric and made sure it was secure. Fingers lingering in her hair as he tugged her bangs free, letting them fall to the side of her face.

“Thank you,” she whispered, turning slightly to glance at him. Saw his ruined scarf and the small smile on his lips, saw the way he was _looking at her_ , and she quickly turned back around. “I’ll get going then.”

She took a wobbly step and heard Sparrow chuckle behind her.

“I believe you’ve lost too much blood,” he said, voice but a murmur. “Let me help you.”

Valkyrie remained silent for a few seconds, glancing over at the growing crowd that kept a respectful distance so far, seeming to be more interested in the smoking robot and crushed cars. Then, with a deep sigh, she reached out for Sparrow, gripping his sleeve and leaning against him. She didn’t dare to look up at him, didn’t dare to see what kind of expression he was making, nor did she dare to think of the pictures that would be spread around in just a few minutes.

Wrapping an arm around her, mindful of her wound and shoulder, he gently led her into the alley and away from the curious stares. He led her through the maze of narrow alleyways, putting a safe distance between them and the crowd, and the further they walked, the more Valkyrie could feel the tremble in her fingers and the blood running down her arm. It felt like a blessing when they finally stopped.

Feeling bricks against her back, Valkyrie slid down to sit on the ground, clutching her arm and trying to stop the bleeding. Biting down on her lower lip to keep herself from making any sound at the pain. Sparrow crouched down in front of her, reaching out for her and hesitating for only a second before he gently tugged her hand away from her arm. With his already ruined scarf, he wrapped her wound to keep it from bleeding, moving so carefully it seemed like he was afraid she’d break. 

Then he nudged her forward with fingers trailing over her back, before reaching for her arm again. “I’ll set your shoulder right.” 

Without protest, she leaned forward, clutching onto the fabric over his chest armor. She felt Sparrow grip her arm, and with a deep breath she bit down on his shoulder.

There was no sound leaving her as her shoulder was set right, and Sparrow didn’t flinch when her teeth sank into cloth and skin. And when it was all done, Valkyrie withdrew enough to bury her nose in the crook of his neck, breathing heavy. Against her, Sparrow went completely still.

“You’re lucky you didn’t lose your arm,” Sparrow whispered after a while, breath against her hair and voice shaky. “I’m not sure it grows back.”

“No, I don’t think it does,” Valkyrie answered, sighing softly before perking up a bit, despite the dull ache in her limbs. “Did you get hurt?”

“I didn’t. I’m afraid you got the worst of it.” Valkyrie breathed out in relief, pressing closer to him. He hummed, fingers drawing circles on her back and she allowed herself to relax, would’ve melted against him if she would’ve been just a tad more tired. “I’m sorry. You always end up hurt.”

She breathed a laughter against his skin, felt him stiffen for only a second before he relaxed once more. “I’ve just got the worst luck. Nothing I can help, and you shouldn’t take the blame for it.”

Sparrow mumbled something against her hair, so low she couldn’t hear, but she figured that it couldn’t have been anything important. Because he continued drawing circles on her back and she felt the tension leave her, eyelids falling closed.

They remained like that, Valkyrie didn’t know for how long, huddled close together and she would never admit it later, but she felt safe. Safer than most days.

Only when the blood on her arm started to dry, the wound closing up underneath the scarf, did she pull away.

“I won’t be able to hold my transformation for much longer,” she said, standing up on wobbly legs and Sparrow let her hold onto his hands for support. “I’ll be fine. I’ll head straight home.” A small smile spread on her lips. “Perhaps I’ll watch a horror movie.”

A warm laughter left Sparrow, sounding more relieved than anything, and he stood up next to her, hands still holding hers so very carefully. As if afraid to let go.

But eventually, her fingers slipped from his, and he watched her stumble her way down the alleyway. Saw the golden glow of her transformation being released around the corner. And he lingered just a moment longer before he left.

 

*

 

She had a bruise on her arm.

When Angela thought back on it, it was probably from the robot-battle yesterday when her arm had been completely ruined for an hour, and although wounds healed fairly quickly for a superhero, sometimes bruises remained for a day or two afterwards. Of course, that happened rather rarely and never posed a problem because of how easy it was to cover up.

But the dress Fareeha had made her try on didn’t have sleeves to cover her arms, and it was just her luck that she hadn’t noticed the bruise earlier, before Fareeha had come over to help her get ready. And it was just her luck that her arm had been wounded at all.

She turned slightly to look at the bruise in her mirror, and she guessed that telling Fareeha that she’d walked into a door again wouldn’t be especially believable. Not when the bruise looked like the mark of a hand with fingers wrapped around her skin. And knowing Fareeha, she would completely flip when she saw it, would probably draw drastic conclusions, and never let Angela walk home alone ever again.

The only option Angela had was to hide it.

Three knocks sounded on the door and Angela all but jumped, grateful that she’d actually locked the door this time.

“Angela?” Came Fareeha’s muffled voice from the other side. “Is the dress good? Blue looks good on you, but I found this green dress as well that might be pretty. Or we could go with jeans and a pretty blouse. Do you still have that pink one?”

“Uhm,” Angela began, cleared her throat and tried again. “It fits well, I think. But don’t you think it’ll be a little cold?”

“A little cold?” A pause. “It’s only _early_ autumn, but sure. I’ll see if I can find a cardigan or something.”

Angela mumbled back a weak _thanks_ , looking back in the mirror. She ran her fingers over the bruise, wincing slightly at the dull pain rising at the touch. It would probably, _hopefully_ , be healed at the end of the day, but until then she had to make sure no one saw it. Not Fareeha, and _especially_ not Genji.

Another knock on the door and Angela turned back, unlocking it to open it just slightly. Fareeha grinned back at her, holding out a white cardigan through the crack of the door, and Angela took it gratefully before closing the door once more. She quickly pulled it on, noted that it covered both the bruise and her bracelet, and then opened the door again for Fareeha to see.

“Looks good?”

Her friend was quiet for a second, grin widening on her lips and she nodded. “Haven’t seen you in that dress since you bought it. It looks good on you. Seriously, if Genji doesn’t fall for you when he sees you, then you should definitely dump him.”

Feeling warmth upon her cheeks, Angela quickly looked away, fiddling with the hem of the dress. It fell just a bit above her knee, and as long as they didn’t stand too long out in the wind, then everything should be fine.

“Alright, we need to do some final touches, and then you’re done!” Fareeha said, motioning for Angela to get back in the bathroom, and she sat down on the edge of the bathtub as Fareeha looked through her cabinets after makeup and perfume and everything else they might need.

Angela didn’t say a word as Fareeha did her makeup, simply followed the orders of “close your eyes” and “look up” and “hold up your hair for me.” Only when she was done did she lean back a bit, looking over her work with a critical gaze. Then she nodded slowly, grabbed a lipstick and tilted Angela’s head up slightly with fingers under her chin. Carefully, she applied the lipstick and afterwards she stood up and took a step back.

“Perfect! Absolutely irresistible!” Fareeha winked at her and Angela couldn’t help but smile back, warmth spreading once more on her cheeks. “I’m still thinking of what to do with your hair, but I think I have an idea.”

She put away the makeup, humming softly and glancing over at Angela now and then as she made up her plan. She narrowed her eyes, motioned for Angela to turn around. She did as she was told, only hearing that Fareeha was rummaging through her cabinets before settling behind her.

Gentle fingers dragged through her hair and her eyes fell closed, a soft hum leaving her lips. It had been years since someone touched her hair like that. She couldn’t even remember the last time, but she was determined to enjoy every last second of it. And so she didn’t notice as Fareeha gently tugged at her hair, putting it up in a high ponytail before creating a bun.

A few different products sprayed in her hair later, and Fareeha backed away once more, hands on her hips. “All done!” 

Slowly, Angela stood up, nervousness in her stomach, even though she knew Fareeha was a master at these things. She never really put a lot of attention in it herself, except when she had to.

And as she stood up in front of the mirror, she felt her blood run cold.

A light blue eyeshadow, bringing out the blue in her eyes and the blue from her dress. Lips painted a soft red, a just as soft blush upon her cheeks. Face framed by two curly locks hanging lose, rest of her hair up in the high bun, looking as pristine as from a magazine cover.

Angela just stared.

“It’s probably my best work yet!” Fareeha grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “It’s been so long since you had your hair up, and I figured that some change from the normal might make Genji look _at least_ twice at you. Besides, it brings out your long neck, so we need some nice earrings and-“ She paused, words dying on her lips and then she leaned forward a bit to meet Angela’s gaze, worry written over her face. “Hey, are you alright?”

Blinking, Angela forced herself to nod, a strained smile upon her lips. Tried to desperately hide the fear that threatened to rise in her throat, because the longer she stared at her own reflection, the more she could only see Valkyrie.

All she needed was a mask.

“I’m fine,” she whispered. “I’m fine. I’m just…” She took a deep breath, forced her mind to work. “I’m just worried. Anxious. You know.”

“Aww, it’s gonna be okay!” Fareeha pulled her into a hug, and Angela was glad she couldn’t see her wince at the pain that shot up her arm. “I’ll be surprised if Genji is even be able to take his eyes off of you! You look gorgeous!” She pulled back slightly to cup Angela’s face. “ _Seriously_. There’s nothing for you to worry about. Just think about having fun and getting to know him!”

Nodding, Angela took a deep breath, already praying that Genji wouldn’t recognize her as Valkyrie. Yet she would be surprised if he _didn’t_ , with how much he seemed to like her.

“Alright! It’s time!” Fareeha pulled away, giving Angela a bright smile before heading into the bedroom, picking up some jewelry and the shoes they had agreed on earlier. “You got the plan, right?”

“Yeah,” Angela breathed, following Fareeha through the house, her friend twirling her car keys on her finger. “You drop me off, I walk the last bit. And then I wait for Genji outside the movie theater, and then I’ll convince him to stay with me even though you and Jesse won’t show up.”

“Perhaps ask if he’d want to eat something after the movie as well!” Fareeha grinned. “And then you just enjoy the rest of the afternoon!”

Angela gave her a weak smile, couldn’t possibly wrap her mind around it, that they were actually _doing it_. It had all seemed like such an abstract concept when Fareeha had discussed it with Jesse just a few days before, just in time when the rain finally stopped and allowed perfect weather for a date, and it didn’t feel _real_ until they sat in the car, Angela fiddling with the hem of the dress.

She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths, heard Fareeha chuckle at her nervousness, and tried to think of anything else but Genji and what he was wearing and if it was too obvious that it was a date and how long it would take before she made a fool out of herself. _But_ , she reminded herself, Fareeha had helped her look pretty for a reason and it would be a shame to waste it by never showing up.

“Come on, Angela! Relax!” Fareeha said, glancing over at her quickly with a reassuring smile. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Angela only smiled back, not sure if her friend wanted to know the answer to that question or not.

 

*

 

Angela shifted where she stood, nervously clutching her bag, glancing at her watch again.

She had been waiting for over half an hour and Genji still hadn’t showed up. Perhaps he was just late, like he sometimes was for class, or perhaps Jesse had failed with his part of the deal. Or Genji simply wasn’t showing up at all! She felt panic start to raise in her throat, because they hadn’t exactly prepared for this situation, assuming that he certainly would show up, no matter what.

She leaned forward a bit, standing on her tip-toes to look out over the crowd, looking for that familiar dark hair. Saw only couples and groups of friends, and not a single sign of Genji. With a sigh, she leaned back again and picked up her phone. She should just call Fareeha instead, ask her to pick her up and abandon this stupid idea which she knew never would’ve worked anyway. Yet she hesitated as she scrolled through her contacts, couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Fareeha had helped her look pretty, and she had swallowed down her fear over the hairstyle and seeing Genji, and going home again would feel like they did all of that for nothing.

Sighing, she pressed Fareeha’s number.

But just like the best friend Fareeha was, Angela was greeted by a cheery voice as the call went to voicemail. Frowning at her phone, she put it back in her bag again. She supposed she’d have to walk home instead. She smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress and took a deep breath.

And froze.

A familiar scent surrounded her, a warmth near her back, and her heart sped up because it was _impossible_. She had been so careful, her hair was up yes, but she wasn’t wearing a mask, and there was no way he would’ve _known_.

Slowly, with wide eyes and breath stuck in her throat, with excuses already on her lips, she turned to face Sparrow.

But it wasn’t Sparrow who stood in front of her, despite the familiar scent and secure warmth, and she blinked up. Genji blinked back, eyes just as wide.

“Sorry,” he began, voice low and soft and she had never heard him speak like that before. He shifted a bit, looked almost nervous. “I must’ve mistaken you for someone else.”

“Ah,” she breathed, reached out for him, but hesitated and let her hand fall just as quickly again. She swallowed, tried to gather her courage, and gave him a small smile. “Fareeha will be happy to hear that I’m unrecognizable.”

Genji paused, blinked, looked over her again. Then he raised an eyebrow, smile spreading on his lips. “Angela?”

At the sound of her name, she relaxed somewhat. “That’s me!”

“Wow! I didn’t even recognize you at first!” Genji grinned at her, shifted slightly, gaze lingering on her hair and Angela forced herself to stand completely still and not fidget underneath that gaze. “You look stunning!” A pause, and she felt warmth spread on her cheeks. “I, uhm, I mean that, ah… _Cute_. You look really cute.”

Feeling ready to lie down and die from happiness, Angela averted her gaze, biting down on her lower lip to try and hide her smile. Her cheeks were impossibly warm, and she hoped she didn’t look like a sunburnt tomato.

How stupid of her, to have mistaken him for _Sparrow_ of all people.

“You look really good as well,” she whispered back, voice lower than she expected it to be and he probably didn’t hear it all because he smiled at her. Then he shifted again, looking over Angela’s shoulders as if she was hiding something behind her back.

“Aren’t Jesse and Fareeha here yet?”

“Ah, no, Fareeha’s mom came home a week ago, so they’re catching up.” Angela swallowed, lies falling easily from her lips. She just hoped it sounded convincing enough. If she screwed this up, now that he had finally arrived, she would never forgive herself. “I don’t know about Jesse though. Didn’t he say anything to you?”

Genji hummed, nodding slowly. “Now that you mention it, I think Jesse said something about visiting his family. Didn’t know he had a sister in the city.”

And Angela knew for a fact that he didn’t have a sister. She had looked it all up when she had become a superhero, to make sure that everyone close to her would be safe, family included. Her best guess was that he was volunteering at the dog shelter again.

“Guess it’s just us, then.”

This was the moment of truth, and Angela held her breath as she waited for Genji’s answer. Because he could decide that it wasn’t worth the trouble and just leave again, just like Angela dreaded, or he could do exactly like Jesse and Fareeha insisted he would.

“Sure, why not?” He shrugged and Angela let out a shaky breath. “We’re both here anyway, so we better make the best out of it!”

She couldn’t help the smile spreading on her lips and she nodded, quickly turning around to hide her reaction. If he gave her a questioning look, she didn’t see, and they walked inside together to look at the current movies.

They were quiet as they tried to figure out what kind of movie they should watch, Genji looking at the posters with a perplexed look, occasionally glancing over at her. And every time, she fidgeted, found it harder and harder to look at the list of movies. She wondered if she should say something, should probably ask him what kind of movies he liked, but what if he _didn’t even like movies_ -

“Angela?”

Blinking, she glanced up at Genji, met his warm gaze and forgot how to breathe for a second, cheeks flaming once more. He gave a soft laughter, sounding _so_ _familiar_ , and she couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

“You were someplace quite far away, huh?” He said, grinning at her. She felt mortification settle in her stomach. “I asked what kind of movie you like?”

And Angela was so horrified over the fact that she’d spaced out and completely ignored Genji when he’d talked to her, that she answered his question without thought. “Horror.”

Immediately, she wanted to slap herself, wanted to sink through the floor or hide away in the public bathroom for the rest of the day. Because _horror_? On the _first date_ , which he didn’t even know _was a date_? Horror was something she watched with Fareeha while deep in a pillow fort, or alone late at night when the shadows moved of their own.

Her brain scrambled after some kind of excuse, something that could save the situation, because Genji was just looking at her, blinking slowly. But before she could speak, he smiled once more.

“It’s been a while since I last watched a horror movie. Should be fun!” A pause and he turned back to the list. “Seems like there’s one starting in a couple of minutes.”

Without giving her a chance to apologize for her taste in movies, or to even try and convince him to watch an action movie or something else instead, he went to buy tickets. Shifting a bit where she stood, she stared helplessly after him before she sighed and went to buy some popcorn.

It was easier to breathe when she wasn’t as close to Genji anymore, when she wasn’t surrounded by a scent that reminded her of Sparrow, and she took a few moments to regain her courage. This was all a part of the plan after all. Not necessarily the horror movie part, which Fareeha would probably have a good laugh at later, but watching a movie didn’t leave a lot of room for conversation. It would be a wonder if Angela somehow managed to screw that up.

Hugging the popcorn close to her chest, she stood a bit to the side as she waited for Genji. He returned to her seconds later, tickets in hand and giving her a smile that made her heart stutter. Yeah, this was definitely not going to be easy.

She gave him a shaky smile and together they walked into the theater, finding their seats in the middle. The commercial before the movie had just begun, and people were chatting around them, didn’t seem all too worried over the horror movie that was about to begin.

Angela fidgeted a bit, was too nervous to even touch the popcorn, and she glanced over at Genji while trying not to be too obvious.

“So, horror movies, huh?” he spoke without warning and Angela almost jumped out of her seat, clutched the popcorn closer. He looked over at her and she couldn’t make herself look away. “I have a friend who really likes it as well.”

“Huh,” she breathed, no other words leaving her lips. She swallowed, shifted slightly, and managed to avert her gaze to the screen. Spoke once more without thinking. “Your girlfriend?”

She didn’t see how Genji blinked at her, hesitation clear in his eyes. “My girlfriend…?”

“You know,” Angela continued, shrugged and already hated herself for speaking, and found that she _couldn’t stop_. So much for avoiding bad conversation. “The philosophy student? The redhead?”

There was a pause, dragging on for longer than necessary and Angela all but shrank back in her seat. Apologies were already forming on her lips and she was already thinking of how to hide from a furious Fareeha for screwing up her chance with Genji. But then Genji chuckled, the soft sound so sudden and strange and _familiar_ , that Angela couldn’t help but glance back at him. Met his gaze and almost dropped the popcorn.

“You mean Emily?” Genji asked, smile soft, that familiar scar disappearing in the dim lights. “We aren’t together. Never were and never will be.” A pause and Angela must’ve made a strange face because he laughed again, leaning closer to her as if he was about to tell her a secret. She swore her heart stopped. “She’s trying to get together with Lena Oxton, who I just so happen to know, and asked for my help.”

Angela couldn’t believe what she was hearing, certainly _wouldn’t_ have believed it if it hadn’t been Genji who told her. “Really?”

“Really!” Genji grinned back at her, reaching for some popcorn. “She’s kind and all, but trust me, it would’ve never worked out between us. Besides, she isn’t really my type.”

It took all of Angela’s willpower not to probe further, to ask him exactly what his type was, even though she suspected she knew the answer. Blonde. Masked. _Superhero_. Preferably with wings. But the news that he wasn’t together with the redhead, nor together with _anyone_ at the moment, stilled her curiosity just a bit and she turned back to the screen with a small smile on her lips that she hoped he couldn’t see.

The commercial turned into trailers for upcoming movies, and Angela settled back in her seat, putting the popcorn between them. The conversations around them slowly died down one by one, some drowned out by the explosions and music of the dramatic shots.

She glanced over to Genji one last time before the movie started. He was watching the screen, seemed to be more relaxed than she was, eyes dark and almost glistering in the faint light. And she decided then and there that no matter how the date went, she was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

She might never get another chance like this.

 

*

 

“ _Shit!_ ” Genji hissed, leaning over to Angela for safety, almost closing his eyes to avoid watching the movie. Angela only smiled at him, trying not to laugh.

It was a good movie, lots of jump-scares that made Genji move closer and closer to her, and she was probably enjoying his reactions more than the movie. If she was honest. And with every jump-scare and every curse, she began to relax more and more. Genji was only human after all, and he was kind and thoughtful, and although he didn’t look at her the same way he looked at Valkyrie, he didn’t treat her with disgust either.

They were friends. And that thought somehow made everything a little easier.

The movie ended too soon for Angela’s liking, the ending slightly unsatisfying, even though Genji had sat there with wide eyes and lips slightly parted, looking ready to flee the theater. The lights came on and people around them started to move, only a few settling in for the credits.

“Wow,” Genji breathed, slowly looking over at Angela and not seeming to know what to say. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

“Sleep with the lights on,” she suggested with a grin and Genji laughed, awakening the butterflies in her stomach.

They got up from their seats, Angela grabbing the empty popcorn bowl to throw it away on their way out, and she felt slightly dizzy from that post-movie buzz. She couldn’t keep that smile off her lips, feeling strangely confident even though she wasn’t transformed. That was probably why she spoke without hesitation.

“Want to grab something to eat?”

Genji paused, gave her a quizzical look that she couldn’t interpret, and opened his mouth to answer, but paused and glanced over her shoulder. Angela turned and followed his gaze, and just down the street, a large black van had pulled up. And from it, a group of masked men were heading into the bank.

Great.

“Uhm, hang on to that thought,” she said, turning back to Genji with a dazzling smile, feeling adrenaline in her veins already. A bank robbery was always quite exciting. “I need to use the bathroom.”

She hurried past him, not waiting for an answer, heading towards the bathrooms of the movie theater. But as the crowd closed up behind her, she changed direction and sneaked into an alleyway instead. Hiding behind some containers of trash, she called upon her transformation.

With wings fluttering to life on her back, she quickly took to the air, keeping to the roofs so she wouldn’t be spotted by the robbers. It would be quite bad if they got away before they were able to commit the crime. It made the police’s work quite difficult.

She landed on the roof across the bank, trying to assess the situation. The robbery had just started, with screams from within, weapons waved in the air with the demand for everyone to get down on the floor.

“Bank robbery, huh?”

Glancing over at her side, she saw Sparrow jump up on the roof, landing next to her as silently as a cat. He flashed her a smile and she smiled back, blamed it on the adrenaline.

“You got here quickly,” she said, turning her gaze back to the bank. “That’s rare for you.”

Sparrow shrugged. “So did you.”

“I was in the area,” she simply answered, grabbing her staff, wings fluffing up slightly. “I was also kinda in the middle of something, so I’d appreciate if we could finish this quickly.”

“Oh?” Sparrow teased, a silly grin on his lips and a teasing glint in his dark eyes. It made Valkyrie want to punch him. “Like a _date_?”

Valkyrie was silent for a second and then she shrugged, deciding that it didn’t matter if he knew or not. “Yes. Actually. He doesn’t know it’s a date though.”

“Is this the same person you were worried about a week ago? In the rain?” He asked, concern sneaking into his voice. “The one you want to confess to?”

Feeling warmth on her cheeks, she refused to meet his gaze, simply glared down at the bank. She almost regretted telling him so much of her private life that evening, couldn’t really find anything to blame her mistake on. She just had to make sure it didn’t happen again.

“Well, no need to try and find me,” she said, watching as some of the bank robbers hurried behind the counter. “I look very different as my civilian self. I doubt you’d even recognize me even if I sat across from you.”

There, that should do it. She stood up, twirling her staff in her hands impatiently.

“You know, you almost make it sound like a challenge!” Sparrow got up as well, standing so close by her side that she could feel that familiar scent, arm brushing hers and she didn’t pull away from the warmth. “In fact, I’m a bit jealous that this stranger got a date with you so easily, when I’ve tried for three whole years and have yet to succeed. And he doesn’t even know it’s a date! What a fool!”

He sighed dramatically, leaning in as if he was about to kiss her, and even though she knew he would never, she placed her hand against his mouth. She felt his smile against her skin and she gave him a glare that could surely kill, feeling his smile widen.

“Come on, we have some civilians to rescue.”

Leaping down from the roof, her wings caught the wind, bringing her swiftly to the bank’s entrance. Sparrow was just as graceful, landing on the black van with a cocky grin, giving the driver a happy wave through the front window.

Impatiently, Valkyrie waited by the door as Sparrow took care of the driver, hindering him from taking off. He was knocked out and tied up against a lamp-post, and Sparrow joined Valkyrie’s side. He held up the door for her, bowing lightly. “Ladies first.”

Grinning back at him, she entered the building. The most important thing in a situation like this was to make sure that the hostages and the civilians weren’t harmed. Most of the time, the robbery wasn’t as well thought-through or the robbers panicked, and only focused on shooting at the superheroes so the civilians made it out without getting hurt. In fact, it was rare to see criminals _not_ panic whenever Valkyrie and Sparrow showed up.

“Keep calm everyone!” One of the robbers shouted, gun in hand as he looked frantically around. “Keep calm and this will all be over soon!”

“Yeah, we just want your money!” Another chimed in.

Valkyrie looked over at Sparrow, met the excitement in his eyes, and then they leaped into action.

She swung her staff at the man closest to them. He had his back to them and never saw the staff coming, knocking him out cold and he collapsed on the floor. Gun skidding across the polished marble. Before the other robbers in the room could react, Sparrow had wounded one of them, and Valkyrie brought out her gun and shot the third, hitting him in his stomach and he sank down on his knees with a loud whine.

They quickly tied the men up and rounded up the guns, keeping them out from the robbers’ reach and away from the civilians. Because a scared civilian with a weapon could be more dangerous than any trained professional.

Sparrow caught her gaze, nodding towards the inner rooms behind the counter, and Valkyrie nodded. As they hurried through the room, the civilians started to get up, some crawling towards the exit. The very presence of the superheroes seemed to calm most, and there were no screams or shouts that alerted the rest of the robbers of the superheroes’ presence.

Gripping her staff in one hand and the gun in her other, Valkyrie pressed her back to the wall, just next to the open door to the vaults. Sparrow mimicked her pose on the other side, hand resting on the handle of his sword. Inside, they could hear the faint sound of talking, some argument making two of them raise their voices. Valkyrie didn’t know exactly how many they were, which meant that everyone was in for a surprise.

Sparrow held up his hand, counting down on his fingers in silence. Valkyrie felt her heart beat in time as he folded down his fingers, and once he made a fist, both of them moved.

Valkyrie entered first, quickly shooting one of the robbers in the leg and the man roared with a pained scream as he fell. The other men reacted quickly, turning their weapons towards Valkyrie and shooting without looking, but Sparrow reacted just as quickly. He moved in front of her, deflecting every bullet to the ceiling and floor.

While most people would stop shooting at such a point, realizing how useless it was to try and harm Sparrow while he had a sword in hand, the men kept shooting. One of them screamed, voice mixing with the sound of his gun.

A few moments later, silence fell over the room. Smoke lingered in the air, bullet holes riddling the ceiling and had cracked the marbled floor by Sparrow’s feet. He glanced around them, then flicked the dirt off his sword, the metal gleaming as sharp as ever.

“That’s definitely a first,” Valkyrie mumbled and Sparrow grinned over at her.

The robbers didn’t seem to have brought extra ammunition, which meant close combat. Valkyrie put away her gun, twirling her staff in her hands, wings flexing behind them and lighting up the vault.

Curses fell from the men, one of them scrambling to gather their loot in a large bag, perhaps with the intention of trying to flee while the superheroes were distracted with the others. But that was the thing with vaults; they only had one exit.

They all moved at the same time, robbers and superheroes.

But while the robbers moved clumsily, trying to land punches and get to the exit, Valkyrie and Sparrow _danced_. They twirled around, moved as one without any need for communication, always knowing where the other was. Brushing against each other as they swapped position, ducking when the other lunged out. Valkyrie felt her heart speed up, a wild smile on her lips because it was moments like these that she felt _alive_ , by Sparrow’s side in the heat of battle, feeling so safe despite the danger in front of them.

Sparrow gripped her arm, tugged her around and she used the momentum to swing her staff, knocking out one of the men as Sparrow took care of the last.

Still holding onto each other, breathing heavy, Valkyrie gave a short laughter. She turned towards Sparrow, saw the excitement of a fight in his dark eyes, and she leaned in closer to him. Felt his breath against her cheeks, saw the way his gaze lingered on her lips.

“Good job,” she said, pulling away slightly, placing her staff on the floor and leaning onto it, still trying to catch her breath. It was rare for those kind of fights, and she enjoyed them more than she did with bullets in the air.

Sparrow’s gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he bent down and started tying up the men. Valkyrie took a deep breath, heart slowing slightly from the earlier rush, and helped Sparrow. They pulled the tied-up men out into the larger room in the front, leaving them with the other robbers. Outside the large windows, blue and red filled their vision as police cars pulled up.

“Seems like we’re done here then!” Valkyrie said, dusting off her hands and heading towards the exit. Sparrow quickly followed her, probably just as intent on getting away before the media came. She needed to get back to Genji, a visit to the bathroom could only last so long before the other got suspicious, and the last Valkyrie needed was to be held back by reporters.

Fingers brushed her arm, and she stilled, glanced back at her partner.

“Hey, uhm,” Sparrow started, glanced away for a second before he met her gaze again. She blinked at him, raised an eyebrow as he took a deep breath. “Good luck on your date.”

She nodded, giving him one last smile, and headed outside. The crowd went wild as she and Sparrow became visible, and Valkyrie quickly took to the air before anyone could get too close. She didn’t have to worry about Sparrow, smooth and silent as a cat, and when she glanced down, she saw him scaling the wall of the bank before disappearing over its roof.

Without wasting more time, Valkyrie landed back in an alley and released her transformation. She quickly dusted off her dress, brushing away some stray hair that had escaped from her bun. She didn’t look as pristine anymore, and she doubted anyone would after a bank robbery, but hopefully Genji wouldn’t notice.

She headed out onto the street, moving around the people rushing towards the bank in a desperate attempt to see some of the action, probably not knowing that it was already over.

Genji stood where she had left him in a hurry, looking somewhat sweaty, hair slightly messy. Frowning slightly, Angela approached him, knowing that she probably didn’t look much better. But she had been in a _fight_.

“Hey,” she said and Genji jumped at her voice, turning towards her with a smile. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for long. There was a really long line to the bathroom.”

He gave a light chuckle, sounding almost breathless. “Looks like you had to fight for it.”

Grinning back at him, she raised an arm and flexed. It only made Genji smile wider, looking like sunshine itself. Angela lowered her arm, shifting slightly. “So, do you want to get something to eat?”

Genji blinked, looking almost as if he had forgotten that she’d asked before she had excused herself. “Huh? Ah, yeah, sure.”

They settled for a small pizzeria a couple of streets down, and even though Angela tried to start up a conversation, feeling much more comfortable in Genji’s presence and no longer as nervous, he wasn’t the same. Distracted, somehow. Lost in thought. Her words falling on deaf ears before Genji turned to her with an apologetic smile, asking her to repeat it.

She frowned lightly at him, wondered if she should ask him about it. But somehow that didn’t feel very appropriate, and she just couldn’t figure it out. He had been so kind and charming before, so what had stolen his thoughts?

 _Unless_ _of course_ , she realized with dread dropping in her stomach, he had seen Valkyrie pass by after the bank robbery. She seemed to steal his attention so easily, even when she wasn’t there.

They ordered and sat down at a small table, Genji staring out the window as if he was looking for someone special, and Angela didn’t try to start any conversation with him. She smiled, trying to hide her sorrow and disappointment.

No, perhaps she would never be able to confess her feelings to Genji. He didn’t like her. He liked Valkyrie, even though the two of them could never be together. It would be too dangerous, for both of them, and Angela could never do that to her friends, to Sparrow. To _herself_. To put them all in danger over her weak heart and a silly crush.

And so instead, she tried to accept the fact that she didn’t stand a chance as her civilian self. But that was fine. Because she and Genji were friends, and in due time she might even learn how to get over this crush of hers.

It had been meant as a date, one Genji wasn’t aware of. But to Angela, it felt more like a goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late update, I've had to focus on some schoolwork. But I hope this plot-filled chapter makes up for the wait! :)
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> Please enjoy!

The early morning air was chilly, and Angela took a deep breath. The days had started to grow colder, and she knew that the mornings would soon carry a promise of frost.

She locked her front door behind her, tugging at her scarf to make sure the wind wouldn’t steal it, and then glanced up at the sky. There were a few clouds, but she could still see the sun, which she took as a good sign. She still hadn’t bought a new umbrella, hadn’t had the time, and rain would just be bad luck at that point.

Pausing for only a moment, she breathed in the scent of autumn and let the cold air fill her lungs. There was something calm about mornings, before the city had started to wake up. She used to take short walks then, and after she became a superhero she often planned her daily patrols with the rise of the sun.

And she would give anything to be able to do the same that day. To transform and fly around over the houses, to greet an early jogger and perhaps help her neighbor’s cat that always got stuck in trees, but she couldn’t.

Not that day. Not during the anniversary.

The reporters were like hawks, and just as unforgiving as any predator, and if there was one thing she’d learnt during her years in the city, it was to stay low on this day. Answering the reporters’ many questions was like stepping on a minefield, and everything she said would be twisted and turned against her. As if her life wasn’t filled with enough drama already. And she really didn’t need the public to hate her, or worse, try and expose her real identity.

She shuddered at the thought and began walking. After the catastrophic date with Genji, the last thing she needed was to become the next Jack Morrison.

Fareeha didn’t know yet. They hadn’t talked, hadn’t had the chance to since they hadn’t seen each other between classes, and it wasn’t exactly a matter Angela wanted to talk about over the phone. She didn’t even know what to say.

Sure, she liked Genji, but he didn’t like her. The best Angela could do was to give up on her stupid crush and live on with the hope that at least they were _friends_ , even though they would never be more than that. And she was fine with that, told herself that she could focus on other things instead, like being a superhero and saving people. She just didn’t have any idea how Fareeha would react. She had been so excited over the fake date, had been _so sure_.

Somehow, Angela felt like she had let her down.

While she walked, she tried to think of what to say, how to convince Fareeha to let it go just as easily as Angela had. But she also knew that her best friend would be too stubborn to let Angela give up so easily.

She passed the small store that had been robbed a while ago, on that rainy night when she had given up her precious umbrella. The broken windows had been replaced, and the owner didn’t seem too unhappy, giving her a smile as she passed by. She didn’t linger, only smiled back and wished him a good morning.

By the time she reached Fareeha’s house, she still didn’t know how to explain the disastrous date. But it was too late to turn back home and procrastinate on it a couple of more days, and it wasn’t like she _could_ do that anyway.

Because every year was the same this day. The same words spoken, the same theories thrown around, the same footage shown. And they always got through it together, for nostalgia and for Ana’s sake.

Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell. Having expected her, it didn’t take long before Fareeha opened the door, giving her a bright smile.

“Just in time!” she said, stepping aside to let Angela in. “Breakfast is ready and mom made some tea! And seriously, you have _no idea_ how much I’ve missed it!”

“I think I can imagine,” Angela said with a smile, walking into the warmth. She took off her shoes and hung up her coat before she followed Fareeha into the kitchen. Her friend was grinning from ear to ear, looking as proud as one could ever be.

The kitchen smelled heavenly of spicy scones and that familiar tea Ana always carried with her, and Angela took a deep breath.

“Good morning Angela. It’s been a while.”

Pausing, Angela looked over at the table and smiled even wider. And Ana smiled back, wearing a bit more wrinkles than last time Angela had seen her, with hair completely white, yet braided just as carefully as it always was. She was still wearing that familiar eyepatch over her right eye, a story which was left untold, and she looked _well_. The last year had been kind to her.

“Morning, Ana,” Angela said, taking a seat at the table and Fareeha joined them, breaking a scone apart and handing Angela a half. “How have you been?”

Ana hummed, picking up her cup of tea. “I’ve been well, thank you.”

And that was all she said about that matter. Not that Angela expected her to say much more; she never told them about where she had been or what she had done. Sometimes, she returned with rare tea that they could trace back to some remote place on Earth, but otherwise it was a complete mystery. And she had that strange ability to turn their questions into other subject, always avoiding to answer them.

They had breakfast in silence. There wasn’t really any need to talk, and the fact that they were all sitting at the same table brought back memories of her childhood. Even Fareeha seemed content, although Angela guessed she was dying to know everything about the date.

Only when Ana finished her tea did she rise from the table, smiling at them both. “The _Anniversary Special_ will start soon.”

Without saying much more, she walked out of the kitchen, and both Angela and Fareeha looked after her. Then Fareeha shifted, narrowing her eyes as she looked over at Angela and she felt herself shrink underneath that gaze.

“So,” Fareeha began, dragging out the _o_ on her lips. “How did it go? When’s your next date?”

Clearing her throat, Angela shifted a bit, trying not to meet Fareeha’s gaze and not be too obvious about it. “There’s not much to say, really.” A pause and Fareeha raised an eyebrow. “We watched a movie, a horror movie, and then we ate at the pizzeria down the street.”

There was also a bank robbery, but she figured that she didn’t have to mention that. It wasn’t that important anyway.

Fareeha stared at her in complete silence for a second too long, making Angela look at her nervously. Then she burst out laughing, drowning out the sound of the TV in the other room.

“A _horror_ movie?” She managed between her laughter, leaning closer to Angela, eyes bright of amusement. “I thought you would go for something romantic or for action or something, you know, _normal_. But _horror_? How did Genji react?”

“He, uh, wasn’t against the idea at all. I think he even liked it, even though he jumped at every little thing.” Angela smiled, couldn’t help herself. “He mentioned a friend who likes horror as well, and I found out that he isn’t together with Emily. The redhead.”

“That’s great!” Fareeha smiled back, rising from her seat, hands on her hips. “Means he’s available!”

Slowly, Angela stood up as well, once more avoiding Fareeha’s gaze. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and tried to gather some of the courage she had while transformed. “Actually, he didn’t seem to have a lot of interest in me.”

_So I’ve decided to move on_. But those words never left her, stuck in her throat and it felt like she was choking on them. Fareeha placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a bright smile.

“But hey, he enjoyed the date, right?” A pause. “Actually, I _know_ he did. I talked to Jesse. Genji still hasn’t figured out it was a date though, and he talked a lot about Valkyrie again when Jesse had asked him, but he definitely enjoyed it! So, it’ll be super easy to make it into a second date!”

Angela gave her a small smile back and somehow couldn’t make herself tell Fareeha that it wasn’t any use. Fareeha gave her a reassuring hug before gently tugging her along into the living room. Ana was already sitting in the couch, watching the TV as if she was seeing everything for the first time.

They sat down, Fareeha grabbing some blankets and throwing a pillow at Angela. She caught it easily, grinning back at her friend, and they got comfortable before they turned to the TV. 

The reporter on the screen was the same who had hosted the _Anniversary Special_ every year, but Angela had never seen him as Valkyrie. She supposed he only worked in the studio, or at least only showed up for the anniversary.

“ _Today marks the 10 year anniversary of Overwatch’s disbandment_ ,” he began and Angela sank down in the couch, soon leaning heavy on Fareeha’s shoulder as they watched.

It was the same, every single year. The only thing that ever changed was how many years it had been since Overwatch began falling apart and Jack Morrison’s identity was revealed. It was the same talk about the cold case, naming every child that went missing and short interviews with their parents as if they’d miss their children less the more years passed by, followed by whatever the current superheroes could say about it.

“ _We have yet to get a hold on Sparrow or Valkyrie_ ,” the reporter said and the camera panned to a small panel of self-proclaimed experts on superheroes. “ _Is it possible that they are avoiding publicity on this important day?_ ”

Angela almost scoffed at that, had to bite down on her lower lip not to say anything stupid out loud. _Of course_ they were avoiding the subject. It was a cold case, as simple as that, and if the greatest superheroes of Overwatch couldn’t find any leads, she doubted she and Sparrow would be able to find anything useful years later. The best, she supposed, was for the world to move on and accept the fact that there wouldn’t be a closure. No matter how much people wanted it, how much the families needed it.

But because Overwatch was what it had been, there was a yearly reminder of how poorly the superheroes did their job, both old and current. Of how easily they let the world down.

_“-and for today’s special we have little Winston’s father with us. Tell us, it’s been ten whole years, do you still-_ “

“I wonder what happened to them,” Fareeha said, talking over the reporter on the TV, who had turned to a familiar man wearing a pained expression. “The children, I mean. It’s strange that they just disappeared the way they did, don’t you think?”

Ana glanced over at her, but remained silent. Expression impossible to read.

“Who knows?” Angela mumbled. “And I don’t know if there’s a non-strange way in which people disappear.”

Fareeha hummed thoughtfully. “But you must’ve thought about it as well. I mean, some of the parents’ stories just sound too… _weird_. Unnatural. Children just don’t go missing when you close your eyes for a second.”

“Didn’t they have a weird theory about that a year ago?” Angela said, sitting up a bit straighter to meet Fareeha’s gaze. “That the kidnapper was in fact a superhero as well, who could make themselves go invisible?” A pause and Angela turned her gaze back to the TV. They were showing short clips from Overwatch’s golden age. “But as far as we know, all superheroes were in Overwatch. And it’s not very likely that it was an insider job.”

_Unless_.

She paused, glancing down on her right arm, at the bracelet wrapped securely around her wrist. Warm against her skin, waiting to be activated.

Quickly looking up again, she found Ana staring at her, _something_ in her eye and Angela felt her heart skip a beat as she looked back at the TV, acting as if she hadn’t done anything suspicious.

Ana didn’t say anything, yet Angela hid her wrist from view, nervousness bubbling in her stomach. Sometimes it felt as if Ana knew too much, knew secrets Angela tried so hard to hide. Yet she never said anything about it, and it always left Angela with the fleeting thought that perhaps she was just a bit too paranoid.

She tried to focus back on the TV, on whatever the _experts_ were discussing in the panel, figuring that she’d missed yet another crazy theory. Then the reporter cleared his throat, looking straight into the camera.

“ _Who was The Soldier and how did he lead Overwatch through its last days? Stay tuned for the last interview ever made with Jack Morrison_.”

 

*

 

The sun began to dip low in the horizon in the late afternoon, and Angela tugged her scarf tighter around her neck, making sure that she wouldn’t catch a cold. Being a superhero protected her from most things, but she didn’t really want a runny nose, even for an hour or two.

“Don’t forget the scones,” Fareeha said, handing over a small plastic bag with some leftover scones from breakfast. Then she gave her a wink, as if they were sharing a secret. “And we’ll talk more about the second date on Monday.”

Angela gave her a halfhearted glare and Fareeha grinned back at her, most likely already making up plans.

“It was good to see you again.” Ana gave her a smile, reaching up to gently wrap her arms around in her in a short hug. It was rare to receive a hug from her, and even more so for it to last longer than a second. But Angela hugged back, smiling as Ana pulled away and patted her on her cheek. “And don’t get into any trouble on your way home.”

Giving a reassuring smile, Angela opened the door. “I promise!”

Ana didn’t look too convinced, a knowing look in her eye that made Angela avert her gaze quickly. Fareeha waved her goodbye, and both of them lingered at the door until Angela was out of sight.

It was colder than it had been that morning, her breath creating small puffs in the air, and she shoved her hands down in the pockets of her coat to keep them from trembling. She could feel the wind picking up, but there was still no sign of rain, and so she didn’t stress while walking home.

She had reached her street when she paused, hesitating for a moment. It was starting to get late, and she really didn’t want to head out as Valkyrie because of the anniversary, but she hadn’t patrolled that morning and she doubted Sparrow had either. Sure, the police was competent enough to take care of any robbery and murder, but this was a city constantly riddled with mutant animals and rampaging killer-robots, and who knew what would come slithering out as the sun set. There were just some things the police couldn’t take care of, no matter how much they’d like to believe it.

Going home to drop off the scones, she quickly exited again, glancing up and down her street before she locked the door. She doubted that anyone would be out this late, especially since she lived far away from the clubs and pubs and every other place that had high traffic a Saturday evening, but she wasn’t willing to take any chances.

She and Sparrow had a patrol planned for the next day, like they always had after the anniversary since some people had _ideas_ after the many documentaries and interviews that were shown, but she figured that it couldn’t hurt to do a quick flight over the city. To make sure everything was safe and well, and then she could return home with a good consciousness.

Trying not to act too suspiciously, in case someone was looking out a window, she went into the closest alleyway. The transformation washed over her, chasing the cold away with wings fluttering to life on her back. She rolled her shoulders, stretching a bit to loosen up after a whole day of sitting still, and then she took to the air.

The setting sun played over her wings, setting them ablaze as she flew over the city, keeping a low profile to not draw unwanted attention to herself. Surprisingly, everything seemed calm, perhaps suspiciously so. But it was the anniversary and she guessed that most people were inside, watching the _Anniversary Special_ that was still running.

And so, when she saw two men shuffle around an ATM quite suspiciously, she paused in the air. There didn’t seem to be any patrolling police nearby, and it went against everything Valkyrie knew to just leave them be. Folding her wings against her back, she swooped down and landed behind them, one hand gripping her staff.

They didn’t notice her at first, one of them tinkering with the machine and the other cursing under his breath, threatening to take the screwdriver to try for himself.

“A lovely night for a stroll, isn’t it?”

Both men flinched, turning around with wide eyes, one of them holding up his hands as if he was being arrested.

She tilted her head a bit to the side as she looked them over in mild surprise. They didn’t look to be older than 16, one of them holding a screwdriver in a poor attempt to break the ATM open. She raised an eyebrow. “I hardly think that’s going to work.”

“Ah, uh, we were just-“ one of them began, the other taking over with a nervous smile. A drop of sweat running down his temple.

“Taking a stroll! Just as you said! Two guys, taking a stroll, not doing anything wrong or suspicious!”

She raised an eyebrow at them, not buying it for a second. But they were young, and she knew it wouldn’t look good for them if she was to hand them over to the police. Besides, they hadn’t succeeded with their plan and hadn’t stolen anything.

With a sigh, she shifted her grip on her staff, saw the way the boys flinched as if she was going to knock them both out. “Why don’t you just go home instead?”

They gave her an uncertain look, perhaps not sure if she was really letting them go or not. But when she didn’t move to hurt them, simply nodding to the side, their eyes went wide and they took off without a word. 

She watched them leave, lifting her head slightly when one of them glanced back at her, perhaps still afraid that she had tricked them would come after them anyway. She lingered a little while longer after they were gone from her sight, making sure that neither of them would come back and finish what they had started. She considered for a moment to follow them to ensure that they stayed out of trouble, but decided that it wasn’t worth it. If they did something stupid again, the police would take them.

Flexing her wings, she was just about to take off when she noticed someone approaching, high heels clicking on the ground. She turned slightly, paused as she looked the woman over. An old coat, messy hair, wide eyes. She didn’t look like a threat and Valkyrie relaxed somewhat, and she folded back her wings again, couldn’t possibly leave a woman alone in the middle of the night.

“Excuse me, Valkyrie,” the woman spoke and Valkyrie immediately recognized that tone. She forced herself to smile, figured that even reporters could need the help of a superhero.

“Can I help you?” She asked instead, back straight and ready to fly off just in case a cameraman jumped out of the shadows. It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time a reporter tried to get an exclusive interview with a superhero. Some even went as far as trying to lure them into a trap in a desperate attempt. Not that it had specifically happened to her and Sparrow, but she clearly remembered how the superheroes before them had been trapped once.

Gravity and ice were a frightening combination.

But the reporter in front of her truly seemed to be alone, didn’t even push a recording device up in Valkyrie’s face, but kept a serious tone and look. Pen held high and ready to write. Valkyrie’s best guess was that this was someone new in the business, perhaps not even a true reporter and just someone who tried to climb the ladder a bit. And perhaps she had seen Valkyrie from her window and had rushed out before the chance slipped from her fingers.

“Yes,” she spoke, raised her head slightly as if she was gathering courage. “I was wondering what you could say about the missing children?”

Sighing softly, and really trying to be kind if this was indeed someone new on the job, she took half a step back. Wings spreading and ready to take her away. “Sorry, but I don’t discuss Overwatch, nor the events that led to its disbandment.”

“Then what can you say about the new missing children?”

Pausing, Valkyrie blinked. A sense of dread settled in her stomach, a strange feeling of déjà vu that she tried to ignore. And she thought that perhaps she had heard it wrong, because she hadn’t heard anything about it before she had left Fareeha’s just an hour ago.

“Excuse me,” she began, smile falling from her lips. “I am not sure I follow.”

The woman shifted slightly, nervousness mirrored in her dark eyes. “The two children that went missing just thirty minutes ago. You are aware of it, I assume?”

There was a pause in the air and when Valkyrie didn’t answer, _couldn’t_ answer because there was nothing she could possibly say, an uncertainty sneaked into the reporter’s eyes and there was a small tremble in her fingers as she lowered the pen.

“Or have you not heard?”

“I…” Valkyrie began, taking a step back and trying to collect her thoughts. She didn’t know what to think, would’ve accused the reporter of lying if it hadn’t been for the genuine concern painted over her features. The feeling of déjà vu only settled deeper until she had to force herself to breathe, to think about this objectively. Like a superhero and not a regular, panicked human.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and tried to seem more confident than what she felt. “I am sure the children will be found. It’s not unusual for similar kidnappings to happen during this time and I ask you to please be patient.”

The reporter opened her mouth to speak, a question already forming on her lips, but Valkyrie didn’t spare her a last look as she took to the air.

She fought down the panic that threatened to rise in her throat, told herself that she needed more information before she could do anything. For all she knew, it could just be a repetition of the events a few years ago, when some children had hidden from their parents in some sick, twisted joke that sent the media roaring. Or some person, like the man two years ago, who had decided to replicate the events as a _social experiment_.

Trying to keep her calm even as her transformation released in a familiar alley, she hurried home with a tremble in her fingers. It took a few tries before she could even unlock the door.

It might just be a sick joke, she told herself as she got inside, barely getting off her shoes and coat before she rushed into the living room to start the TV. A really sick joke or a simple mistake.

Because things _couldn’t_ repeat themselves. It was a cold case and not even Overwatch could solve it, and if something like that happened again…

Shaking her head and trying to get rid of any treacherous thoughts, she switched the channel to the news. And the few seconds it took for it to load felt like an eternity, making her confidence drop.

_“-which is the latest in the new investigation.”_ The man looked into the camera, as serious as only a reporter could be. “ _No one has seen the two children since their sudden disappearance and the police is working hard on finding any leads._ ”

The remote slipped from her hand, but she barely registered it as she stared at the TV.

“Shit,” she whispered, feeling her body go numb as she sank down in the worn couch. No matter how much she didn’t want to believe it, no matter how much she’d rather hope that it was a joke or a mistake or just _something else_ , the fact still remained that things looked bad.

Really bad.

_“The parents are currently held as main suspects, but are expected to be released during the evening.”_ The camera switched to what looked like a crime scene, blinking police cars outside a normal house. A couple sitting on the stairs up to the front door, the woman weeping in her hands. It switched back to the reporter, now in a different angle.

_“So far, we have not heard anything from our local superheroes, Valkyrie and Sparrow, and we are all left wondering where they are in this trying time as the public turn to them for answers.”_

Angela wondered if Sparrow knew. If he was watching the same news, had the same tremble in his fingers, if he found it just as hard to breathe. If he was coming up with the same ridiculous theories as to why these kidnappings must be different from those ten years ago, why it wouldn’t be the end of them.

Overwatch hadn’t survived such a tragedy ten years ago.

And so, there was not a single chance that Valkyrie and Sparrow could.

 

*

 

That night, she didn’t get much sleep.

She sat curled up in her couch, wrapped in layers of blankets as she stared wide-eyed at the TV, perking up whenever they found something new and dozing off when they started to repeat old news. The police didn’t find any new leads, only a child’s shoe on the other side of the city and a footprint in the front yard of one house, which was soon erased by a stumbling reporter. The lack of clues was so terrifyingly familiar to the disappearances ten years ago, and the reporters in the studio came to a single conclusion in time with the rising sun.

Either the person behind the kidnappings had done his research, mimicked everything down to the last detail, and could break into a locked room without any windows and then break out once more with a child, without making any noise nor leaving any trace.

Or, to Angela’s horror and desperate hope that it was not, the same people who were behind the kidnappings ten years ago were also responsible for these.

It didn’t give Angela much to go on, if she was hoping on solving the case. And she _had_ to, otherwise they’d end up like Overwatch. But chasing invisible people was as good as impossible, and they had never encountered something like this before, when their reputation and _lives_ were on the line.

They didn’t have much of a choice, no matter how much Angela wanted to stay inside and hide and leave it up to the police to solve for once. Since the moment the first child had gone missing, when Overwatch fell and Jack Morrison was exposed, the superheroes afterwards were living on borrowed time. Because they knew, and Angela had known so well when she had first put on that bracelet, that sooner or later the media would raise the question and demand them to solve the case, no matter how cold it was.

And now, with someone out there repeating history, their limited time was starting to run out.

Covering her mouth as she yawned, she got up from the couch, blankets wrapped around her shoulders as she dragged herself into the kitchen. Almost methodically, she put on some coffee, and she let it boil in peace as she went to take a quick shower. It made her feel somewhat better, and she got dressed in clean clothes before heading into the kitchen once more, pouring the coffee in a cup with a lid.

Despite everything that had happened, she and Sparrow still had a patrol planned. She couldn’t afford to be late. Sparrow would probably worry because _he_ was the late one, and if he had heard about the missing children, he might jump to conclusions and if they were going to solve it, or at least _hope_ to solve it, then both of them needed to be focused. They didn’t have time to worry.

Cradling her cup in her hands, she headed back into the living room to turn off the TV. The remote had fallen between the seats and she huffed as she searched for it, back turned to the TV. And so, she was completely unprepared when the reporter spoke up next.

“ _We just heard from our sources that yet another child has gone missing. Please stay tuned_ -“

Feeling her blood run cold, forcing herself to breathe and stay calm, she grabbed the remote and quickly shut off the TV. Her heart was beating so fast it was almost painful in her chest, yet she forced herself to grab her keys and put on her shoes.

They were going to fix this. Her and Sparrow. Or at least they were going to try, at the best of their abilities, with the false hope of succeeding where so many had failed before them.

Angela would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared.

Heading outside, the cold morning air cleared her head a little. She spared a moment to take a deep breath and a quick sip of her too-hot coffee, burning the tip of her tongue momentarily, before she headed into the alleyway. She put the coffee down on the ground as she transformed, wings fluttering on her back and she resisted the want to wrap them around herself for some warmth.

She tried to ignore the fact that if things went bad, really bad, then this could possibly be one of the last times she’d ever transform.

Trying to distract her own thoughts, she picked up her coffee and took to the air. She couldn’t fly as fast as she’d liked, with her precious coffee in hand, but she still flew fast enough for her cheeks to numb and for her hair to become messy in the wind.

Only when she arrived at their spot did she slow down, landing gracefully on the roof of the museum dedicated to Overwatch. They had met on that roof three years ago, and so that had become the place where they met before patrols. But of course, Sparrow wasn’t there just yet, and Valkyrie sat down with her back against one of the flagpoles. Her wings wrapped around herself for some warmth and she cradled the mug in her hands while taking slow sips of her coffee.

She watched in silence as the city began to awake. The traffic became just a tad more rushed, cars honking and curses thrown about, as well as the occasional sound of a siren in the distance.

It was strange, just as it always was after a great tragedy in the city, how its people could carry on with their lives as if nothing had happened. She had done the same once, before she had met her predecessor and her life had changed.

“You’re early.”

Looking up from her coffee, she met Sparrow’s warm gaze and he gave her a smile that seemed to chase some of her worries away. He looked her over, gaze lingering on her hands and coffee for a moment.

“You don’t look like you’ve gotten much sleep,” he spoke, leaning against the flagpole next to hers. And he tried to act nonchalant, obviously ignoring the more pressing matter. “I take it your date went really well and your boyfriend is keeping you up all night?”

A laughter slipped past her lips and she returned her gaze to her coffee. “The date was a disaster.”

That made him pause and it took a few moments before he spoke again, voice soft and somewhat careful. “I still find it hard to believe that anyone would reject you. This guy really is an idiot, huh?”

“Yeah, so I gave up on him.” She stood up and looked over at him, saw his wide eyes and how his mouth snapped closed when their gazes met. “I figured that he would be happier with someone else and that if anything, _I_ will feel better letting it go. Means I can focus on more important things.”

He blinked at her, and her words seemed to sink in slowly, because it took almost half a minute before he regained his composure and straightened up, giving her a brilliant grin and a wink to match. “If that’s the case, then I should let you know that I’m still free if you want a real date with a nice dinner with lit candles and sweet wine. And perhaps some roses. Really romantic, either way.”

Valkyrie smiled and reached up to brush her fingers under his chin, watching as a dark flush spread upon his cheeks. “Tempting, but don’t you worry. I might’ve given up on him, but I am still not available for you.”

She gave him a wink just to tease him, watched as his flush darkened, before pulling away and drinking the last of her coffee.

“We should head over to the first family,” she said, changing topic because there was no point in talking around the hot porridge much longer, and the faster they solved it, the sooner they could relax again. Or at least, that was what she told herself as she looked out over the city, wings spreading wide and ready to take off.

“And,” she mumbled, turning slightly to glance at Sparrow over her shoulder. “I know a lovely bakery on the way, if you haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“Yes! I mean, no, I haven’t had breakfast yet,” he stumbled over his words, pushing away from the flagpole, scratching his neck as he looked over at her. And if Valkyrie hadn’t known better, she’d say that he almost looked shy. “It would be an honor to spend this beautiful morning by your side.”

And Valkyrie couldn’t help the laughter that passed over her lips before she stepped off the building, letting her wings carry her on trustworthy winds. Because even if they were to fail, even if they never found the children and the world would go to hell, they didn’t have to fall alone.

They were in this together, from the beginning and to the very end.

 

*

 

“Nothing!” Valkyrie grumbled, resisting the want to kick something. “We have absolutely nothing! Three children are missing and we can’t find _anything_!”

Sparrow shifted where he was leaning against the brick wall, regarding her with worry in his gaze, but he didn’t _get it_. He hadn’t grown up in this city, with Overwatch and superheroes, and he hadn’t been there when they fell, so he couldn’t possibly see the gravity of the situation. And it made Valkyrie frustrated, even though she knew it was illogical and she shouldn’t act that way because it wasn’t his fault, but she had hoped. As ridiculous as it seemed, she had _hoped_ for some kind of lead, that they would find something the police overlooked, but they had left the mourning parents emptyhanded.

It certainly didn’t help that there were reporters at every house, screaming questions at them and demanding answers they didn’t have.

“We might have superpowers, but we can’t make something miraculously appear out of thin air! Just like the children shouldn’t have been able to disappear into thin air in the first place!”

She threw her hands into the air, startling when Sparrow caught them in his own. The sudden contact made her freeze up for a second before she forced herself to relax. Another groan slipped past her before she leaned forward, bumping her forehead against his shoulder. She felt his hesitation for a moment before an arm wrapped around her.

“It’s ok, we’re going to solve this,” he murmured, soft words only for her to hear. “We haven’t found any leads, no, but we can do our patrols and hopefully we’ll catch something. If anything, we can try to stop it from happening again.”

She took a few moments to just breathe, feeling herself calm from his familiar scent and warm embrace, felt his heart beat steadily in his chest. And he held her close while she calmed down, tracing patterns on her back, and with a sigh she seemed to melt against him.

And just as quickly, the moment was gone. She straightened up, took a step back to put a respectful distance between them, slipping from his embrace, because _shit_ , they were supposed to be professional! And she couldn’t be that cruel to play on his feelings. Sure, she had given up on Genji, but there was no way in hell that things could work out with Sparrow because sooner or later they would have to reveal their true identities and if anything, that was what she feared the most.

Clearing her throat, she tried to ignore how her cheeks felt aflame, refusing to meet his gaze.

“We should, uhm, do that patrol thing,” she mumbled gesturing to her side at nothing. And when she dared to glance up at him, she saw that his cheeks were just as warm, eyes a tad bit darker, and he looked flustered more than anything. As if he too realized that Valkyrie hadn’t meant to let her guard down like that. It had begun to happen a lot more often lately and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Yeah, that. We should do that.”

Yet they lingered, and Valkyrie found it somewhat impossible to move, to get her legs to work. Sparrow looked down, met her gaze, and with a deep breath, he closed the distance once more.

“Valkyrie,” he spoke with a low voice, fingers brushing past hers, her wings giving a nervous flutter. “I really mean it, you know. We’ll get through this together.”

Nodding slowly, Valkyrie took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

And if it hadn’t been for the click of a camera, she might’ve done something stupid.

Twisting sharply, she put even more distance between herself and Sparrow, staring at the man who raised his camera again. And behind him, a small crowd of reporters were running towards them, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“Valkyrie and Sparrow!”

“What can you tell us about the missing children?!”

“Are you aware that a fourth child has gone missing?!”

“Instead of finding the children, are you making out in secret?!”

With dread settling in her stomach, adrenaline already in her blood, she turned to Sparrow with a single word on her lips. “ _Run_.”

She didn’t waste any time before she took off, running down the alleyway and away from the reporters. Sparrow followed her closely, even though he was faster than her and could get to safety much quicker, and she was about to scold him for putting himself in danger like that since he couldn’t just fly away if he got caught, when his fingers lightly brushed by her back between her wings. Immediately, the ability to speak was lost on her, and she felt her cheeks flame even warmer.

“Meet me tomorrow, an hour before the sun sets. Regular spot.”

Before Valkyrie could answer, Sparrow was gone without a trace, as if he had never been there at all, even though the lingering warmth on her back spoke otherwise. She stumbled a bit in her steps before she sped up, took the corners a bit sharper, moved unpredictably in the maze of alleyways and she couldn’t wrap her mind around why the city was built like this in the first place.

Reaching the end of the alley, she ran out to a small, open street. She could’ve taken to the air then, perhaps should’ve done so, but she kept running. Taking flight was what the reporters expected her to do, and so if she continued running she could buy herself some time while the small crowd spent their time looking up at the sky. And if she was lucky, she could even release her transformation and sneak away.

She ran into an alley between two tall buildings on the other side of the street, quickly rounding a corner and tucking her wings close to her back so their faint glow wouldn’t give her away. But she didn’t give herself much time to breathe, only kept running, rounding corners.

Throwing a nervous glance over her shoulder, she was so focused on the sounds of the reporters following her that she barely noticed what was in front of her. She turned her gaze back again, just in time to meet the gaze of dark, warm eyes, just as wide as hers. Reacting on instinct, she jumped. Wings spreading to carry her as she twisted her body above the man, and she couldn’t help the startled sound that left her.

“ _Genji?!_ ”

She landed just behind him, wings brushing past the bricks before she tucked them close once more and she turned to face him and he turned just as slowly, eyes wider than she had ever seen them. For a moment, only for a moment, she forgot that she was wearing a mask.

“What are you-“ she began, cutting herself off to clear her throat and straighten her back a bit, tucking a strand of lose hair behind her ear. “I mean, you shouldn’t be out this late in the evening. People, _children_ , have gone missing and it’s not exactly safe.”

“You…” Genji stared at her, looking as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. But she supposed that was natural, when facing the superhero of his dreams. He licked his dry lips, tried once more to speak. “You know my name?”

Realizing her mistake, she felt her face fell. Really, couldn’t she just screw it up even more while she was at it?

“Of course,” she said with a shaky smile, mind working quickly to come up with an excuse, because this was _not_ how it was going to end. Not this fast and not this simple. “I know the names of all of my biggest fans!”

Something shone up in his eyes and he gave her a smile so bright and _familiar_ that it threatened to make her heart melt. Genji had never smiled at her like that before, not when she was herself, and it made her heart ache in the strangest of ways. She supposed it took a while to forget an old crush.

“Really?” He took a hesitant step forward, and when he noticed how she tensed up, he quickly backed away again.

Despite how she wanted to apologize for tensing up, she knew she had to be careful. If he got too close, if he _recognized_ her, she didn’t know what she’d do. And so instead, she smiled at him.

“Really,” she said, then paused. Voices rose in the maze of bricks, echoing slightly against the walls, and she felt restlessness in her limbs as she turned back to Genji. But before she could speak, to apologize for her sudden department, Genji gave her a confident smile, a softness in his eyes that made her want to linger for a moment longer.

“Go, I’ve got your back.” He nodded to her and then turned towards the reporters.

Valkyrie didn’t wait, running down the alleyway and taking a right. Somewhere behind her, she could hear Genji’s steady voice of “she went to the left!” And it must’ve worked, because no reporters came after her, and she slowed her pace until she reached a dumpster she could use for cover.

Her transformation released, settling a mild ache in her limbs as her hair fell around her shoulders, a soft sigh leaving her lips. Bumping into Genji was a good distraction for the moment, but as soon as she was out on the streets and walking back home, she couldn’t help but think of the missing children. Their numbers only seemed to rise, and there was nothing the superheroes could do but sit by to the side and watch as it happened.

Angela couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so _helpless_.

She was a _superhero_. She wasn’t supposed to feel that way, and that thought alone made her frustrated and irritated and she didn’t know what to do. If Overwatch hadn’t fallen, or at least if she was able to speak to one of its old members, then perhaps it would’ve been a bit easier, because then she and Sparrow wouldn’t have to be completely alone in this.

Hurrying home, she reached her front door just in time as the sun was about to set. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since the breakfast with Sparrow, and she noticed as she stared down at her hands, that she had forgotten her coffee mug somewhere. 

“Great,” she mumbled under her breath, unlocking her door and slipping into the warmth.

She lingered a bit in the hallway, unsure if she wanted to watch the news again or if she should ignore the world for a little longer. The human part of her just wanted to collapse on the floor and sleep there for a while, but eventually she forced herself into the kitchen to heat some leftovers.

Eating in silence, she picked up her phone. She had left it at home, hadn’t thought that it would be necessary to have it with her since she had spent the whole day transformed anyway, and she almost regretted that decision when she saw the twenty texts from Fareeha. Feeling nervous and worried all at once, she opened the texts, fearing the worst.

While at least fifteen of the messages were updates on the missing children case, things Angela had learned while she was hunted by reporters who shouted the same things at her, four of them were worrisome questions over her silence. And the last text was a simple “you should really watch the news now.”

Frowning down at her food, her appetite leaving her quickly, she left it at the table and headed into the living room. She didn’t want a repetition of yesterday, had no plans on spending the night in her couch again, mourning over her helplessness. And so she braced herself as she started the TV, switching to the news channel.

Thinking back on it, she really would’ve appreciated a warning.

“ _-is unacceptable! Twenty-four hours has passed since the first child went missing and our city’s superheroes haven’t found anything!_ ”

The camera panned to the other men sitting at the panel, looking just as furious as she was starting to feel. Heart beating hard in her chest and she sat down in the couch, felt so heavy that she doubted even her wings would’ve been able to carry her then.

“ _Indeed. Valkyrie and Sparrow seem to do more harm than good. Just this afternoon, they got in the way of the police!_ ”

“ _Unacceptable! They should let the police do their work and stop sticking their noses in official business, or else they’ll end up like Overwatch!”_

_“Who are they even beneath those masks? Who gave them the right to act as they please without bending to our laws? They could be criminals for all we know! Do we really want these people to protect us when they can’t even protect our children?_ ”

Feeling her mouth run dry, Angela clutched the edge of the couch, trying to keep herself from fleeing the room. Her bracelet burned against her skin and she felt panic rise in her throat, begging for just a little more time.

“ _I believe we have to start looking at this in a new way. Is it possible that Valkyrie and Sparrow has something to do with the missing children? I don’t know! But I don’t trust them!_ ” A pause, the camera zooming in on the man’s face. “ _If they can’t reveal their true identities, they are just as dangerous as any criminal!_ ”

The camera shifted to the reporter and he straightened his tie before he looked down on his cards, fake concern painted on his face. “ _It does indeed sound suspicious, and we will certainly look more into that. But for now, are Valkyrie and Sparrow truly as dangerous as experts claim?_ ”

The camera cut to clips of Valkyrie and Sparrow fighting. Giant robots with claws for hands and meat grinders in their throats, mutant animals with venom in their blood and madness in their eyes, a billionaire with metal under his skin and a wicked smile on his lips as he leveled a building to the ground.

“ _Perhaps the world is better off without any superheroes_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait! I've been super stressed and haven't had a lot of time to write. And for the next 5 weeks, I'm doing an internship in another city, so I doubt I'll have a lot of time to write then either. But I hope to finish at least one chapter during that time!   
> Thank you all for your patience!
> 
> Make sure to check out [this awesome fanart](http://koshkavinni.tumblr.com/post/166428209531/) by [Koshkavinni](http://koshkavinni.tumblr.com/), and [this one](http://starwarspotato.tumblr.com/post/166506706141/) by [starwarspotato](http://koshkavinni.tumblr.com/)! Thank you both for the lovely fanart! <3
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Valkyrie was early.

It had been a precaution, she told herself, to leave home a little earlier in case she ran into a group of reporters or curious people again. She couldn’t possibly allow herself to be late when Sparrow had asked to meet her. She didn’t know what he was planning, which was probably the most frustrating thing of it all, and she didn’t like to be left in the dark. But she trusted him. If he had a plan, then it was definitely more than what Valkyrie had.

After last evening, she didn’t have much hope left of survival.

_Perhaps the world is better off without any superheroes._

Biting her lower lip, she glared out at the city, wings puffing up with her irritation. The reporters were _idiots_! Of course the city needed them! What else would they do when a gigantic snake slithered by or when a supervillain decided to purge the city from other rich people? The police was competent enough to solve murders and fight off robberies, but they were helpless against all those other things. That’s why the city needed superheroes, why Overwatch had been created in the first place, and it was unfair, _so damn unfair_ , to just throw it all away and not even give them a reasonable chance to solve the case, to prove themselves worthy again!

But she tried to think realistically about it, tried her best to understand why they were even in this situation in the first place. Because Overwatch had once been given a chance, one they couldn’t make anything of, so now when things were repeated and they couldn’t find anything, the city’s patience with superheroes was running thin. And perhaps they thought a bit like Valkyrie herself, that if Overwatch hadn’t been able to solve the case ten years ago, there was not a chance that her and Sparrow would. Why would they give chances to people who were doomed to fail? It would just be better, _easier_ , to put the blame on them instead.

Groaning, Valkyrie stood up, her wings tucked close to her back to not catch the wind. If she could’ve, she probably would’ve taken a vacation on the other side of Earth, as far away from the city as possible, living with the uncertainty if she would ever return. She certainly deserved it. And she had thought of it, sometimes in the beginning, that it would be so easy to leave the city. To abandon her responsibilities, to just spread her wings and let them carry her wherever they wished to.

Sometimes, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why she never did. Why she stayed, despite it all. And now, no matter how much she deserved it or _needed_ it, she just couldn’t leave.

She took a deep breath, trying to regain her calm. She needed to focus. Even though she felt helpless and completely _useless_ , she couldn’t just give up. And it was a bit ridiculous of how often she had to remind herself of that, to fight to just keep that hope alive, if only a little bit.

Pacing back and forth on the roof, Valkyrie felt the restlessness grow in her bones along with her helplessness. She knew she shouldn’t think about it, or else she would just overanalyze things, but it was hard to think of something else but the end of her superhero career when it was waiting just around the corner. Frustrated, she kept glaring at the city.

The sun was almost starting to set when Sparrow finally showed up on the roof, hair messy from the wind and cheeks slightly flushed from the cold. Breathing a bit heavier than usual, and Valkyrie guessed he had run there.

“Did you run into trouble?” she asked, grateful for his presence. It calmed her, and she took a deep breath before joining his side to peer over the edge of the roof, to the entrance of the museum. She couldn’t see any reporters or journalists, only a few people looking up and pointing at them. Quickly, she withdrew back again.

“Got chased for five blocks,” Sparrow huffed, hands on his hips as he rolled his shoulders, giving her a bright smile. “They’re getting more persistent. Smarter.”

Valkyrie winced, arms crossing over her chest. “Probably because of yesterday. Did you see the evening news?” A pause, and Sparrow blinked, slowly shaking his head. Valkyrie took a deep breath. “They were discussing the whole night how to get rid of us. Why the city would be better off without us. How much damage we’ve done since we first showed up and-“

A warm hand on her shoulder made her pause, and she snapped her gaze up to meet Sparrow’s. And although there was sorrow in his dark eyes, they still carried that familiar warmth that made her relax somewhat. Her wings slowly lowered, tucked close to her body once more, and she wrapped her arms around herself, wanting nothing more but to disappear. Things would certainly be easier then.

“It’s the media. It’s just how they are,” he mumbled, fingers gently stroking her cheek before he caught himself and let his hand fall. “We shouldn’t watch TV or the news or do any more interviews while we try to solve this case. I don’t think it’s doing you any good and,” he took a deep breath, reaching out for her again as if he couldn’t help himself. “I hate to see you like this.”

“Yeah,” she mumbled, closed her eyes for a second before she nodded. Fareeha had pointed it out just earlier that day as well, that she seemed too tired, too unfocused, over a thing the media exaggerated. That perhaps it was for the best if she didn’t watch the news, or else she might end up like Ana, torturing herself over things she couldn’t change. At the same time, it felt wrong to ignore it all, even though she knew that it wasn’t doing anything good for her. “You’re right.”

Sparrow hummed, reaching up to gently tug a stray of lose hair behind her ear, and Valkyrie couldn’t help but smile at him. He must be worried as well, even though he didn’t let it show. He wasn’t that touchy otherwise, but Valkyrie found that she didn’t mind the reassuring brush of his fingers against her skin.

“So,” she started, and he let his hand fall once more, standing a bit straighter. “I guess you have a plan on how to solve this? Since you wanted to meet me here.”

“Perhaps I just wanted to see my lovely partner!” He grinned at her, and she raised an eyebrow, completely unimpressed and ready to leave if that was actually what he wanted. His smile faltered ever so slightly. “But yes, there’s one more thing we can look into.”

Valkyrie shifted slightly where she stood, felt doubt slip into her voice. “Something we missed? I thought we were quite thorough in our search for clues.”

“We definitely were, and there might not even be a connection between this lead and the missing children.” Sparrow cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze for a moment. He looked almost a bit uncomfortable for suggesting their new plan, and Sparrow was never really nervous about these things. “But we don’t have anything else to go on, and he’s the only one I can think of that has contacts underground and all over the city. And he’s easy to find, so we can look it up quickly, without any reporters circling around us.”

“Huh,” Valkyrie breathed, head tilting slightly to the side as she looked him over. She couldn’t for her life guess what he was trying to get at. She couldn’t even think of a person who had good connections to them and would be willing to help, while having a good position underground as well. Sparrow’s nervousness was contagious, and her wings fluttered slightly on her back.

“I’m not going to like it, am I?” she asked and Sparrow gave her a bright smile that was enough as an answer. She narrowed her eyes and looked him over, and it made him shift around even more, avoiding her gaze and no, she _definitely_ wasn’t going to like it.

Huffing at him, she walked up to the ledge. The sun was finally reaching the horizon, had started to color the sky a dark purple and bloody red.

“Alright,” she said as Sparrow joined her. She let her fingers brush against his, met his gaze and couldn’t make herself smile. She didn’t like this plan she knew next to nothing about, especially not after Sparrow’s nervousness, but she let a heavy sigh slip past her lips and slowly shook her head. “I trust you.”

Her wings spread wide and she was just about to take a step off the building, ready to meet the winds, when Sparrow grabbed her hand and gently pulled her back in. Her wings wrapped around them both in her sudden confusion, and she was just about to ask him what was wrong, if he had changed his mind, when metal was pressed against her free hand.

Blinking down, she saw her mug. She had thought she had lost it, had already planned on buying a new one along with an umbrella.

“You forgot it at the second house we visited yesterday,” Sparrow said, moving slightly closer to her and she blamed that on her wings. “It wouldn’t be too good if the reporters had gotten their hands on it. DNA and such. Scary things.”

Valkyrie smiled back at him, suddenly breathless from his closeness and she decided that it wasn’t fair. “Thanks.”

They lingered a bit, Sparrow making no move to put some distance between them, lips parted slightly as if he had words on his tongue, yet unsure of how to speak. Valkyrie glanced between him and the mug, before she narrowed her eyes again, pulling back her wings and no longer hiding them from view.

“Is this a peace offering?” She all but glared at him, yet she couldn’t hide her amusement, a smile tugging at her lips despite her tries to force it down. “To keep me from getting angry? Your plan is looking worse and worse by the second.”

Sparrow smiled, some confidence sneaking in as he reached forward and twisted the lid of the mug a bit. “I filled it with coffee.”

Suspicious, Valkyrie lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip. A pleased sound left her, eyes fluttering closed, and she would’ve lied if she said that it wasn’t the best coffee she’d ever had. Rich and flavorful, just sweet enough to match the bitterness, a hint of chocolate lingering on her tongue.

She hummed, smile spreading on her lips, and she slowly opened her eyes to see Sparrow staring at her, warm flush on his cheeks and eyes wide and dark.

“You’re forgiven,” she mumbled, taking another sip. “I can’t promise I won’t get angry, but I will promise to follow through with your plan.” A pause and she leaned forward a bit, noses almost brushing, noticing the way he sucked in a breath. “No matter what.”

With Sparrow breathless behind her, she stepped off the building with wings spread wide. Cradling her mug of coffee close to her chest.

 

*

 

“I can think of at least a thousand reasons why this is a bad idea,” Valkyrie said, glaring down at the prison. “In fact, this is a _horrible_ idea. Do you know how many things can go wrong from us just being here?”

Not seeming too worried about it, since it was his idea and since he’s already bought her favor with the coffee, Sparrow gave her that brilliant smile of his that made her glare a little harder. “We’ll be fine, I promise! I contacted Hana, she’ll let us in and out without a fuzz. She can’t get us more than 10 minutes though, but she guaranteed that no one will know we’re here.”

Not seeming too convinced, Valkyrie turned her glare back at the prison, taking a sip of her coffee. Without the warm beverage, she would’ve never agreed to this, and Sparrow gave her a confident wink.

“So, how do we do this?” Another sip of the coffee, to calm her nerves. “I hope you don’t suggest we break in.”

Sparrow chuckled at that, probably trying to ignore the suspicious look Valkyrie was giving him. “As I said, I’ve contacted Hana. She’ll meet us here soon, and she’ll bring a coat to hide your wings.” A pause and he turned his gaze to the lit prison down the hill. “Don’t worry. I’ve thought this through.”

Grumbling a bit, Valkyrie fluffed up her wings and wrapped them around herself. She didn’t like them being hidden, even though she knew that they were glowing in the dark and a certain give-away and they didn’t need that attention, but hiding them made her feel limited. Trapped, like a grounded bird.

“I really don’t like this,” she muttered, holding her mug of coffee closer. “But I guess we don’t have much of a choice.”

Sparrow gave her an apologetic look, and they both let silence fall between them until steps could be heard in the dry grass. They looked up in alert, Valkyrie gripping her staff and Sparrow motioning for her to stay low. With her heart in her throat, Valkyrie sat completely still as they waited for the person to climb high enough on the hill to be seen. But it could be anyone, she knew, from reporters to prison guards, and everyone was just as dangerous. So it was with a great relief when Hana came into view, grinning up at them underneath her hood.

“Long time no see,” she said, looking them both over before meeting Valkyrie’s gaze. “Got a present for you.”

She handed the coat she had been carrying to Valkyrie, and she looked at it critically before she tugged it on. The material was thick and heavy, pressing down on her wings and forcing them to lie flat against her back. It didn’t hurt, but it was uncomfortable enough to make her wince. 

“The idea is to get you in and out before the next guard change,” Hana began, already heading down the hill and the superheroes hurried after. She walked quickly, talked even quicker with a low voice only for them to hear. “You’re lucky I’m on patrol duty! I’ll keep a lookout for you, make sure no trouble comes your way while you interrogate that piece of shit. And I really hope it’s worth it! It was hard enough to get him out of MAX for a little while.”

“Out of MAX?” Valkyrie repeated, glancing over at Sparrow in the hope for answers. Unless Sparrow had a criminal past, she doubted he would know anyone in the prison, much less from MAX. They had been the ones to put at least half of the people behind those bars, after all, and she doubted anyone would be friendly enough with them to talk. “Who exactly are we meeting?”

Hana blinked, throwing a look behind her shoulder. “You don’t know? Sparrow didn’t tell you, then?” A pause, and she gave Sparrow an odd look. “I guess she’s not gonna like this then, if you’re not telling her.”

“He bribed me with coffee,” Valkyrie grumbled, taking another sip just to remind herself why she wasn’t running away. Things were just looking worse and worse. She didn’t even know who they were meeting, but she didn’t like this _at all_. And really, she should stop letting people make plans for her, since it all ended in disaster anyway. First Fareeha and the date with Genji, and now Sparrow with a plan that made her instincts scream at her to run the other way.

Hana winced, tried to hide it behind her hood and she quickly turned back to the small road, fiddling with her keys to the building. The second they crossed over to prison grounds, Valkyrie perked up in high alert, looking around them to make sure that they weren’t seen. But Hana was good at what she was doing; the cameras were all turned away from them, and they didn’t bump into a single person as they walked through the narrow hallways.

Valkyrie and Sparrow remained silent, and she saw the way he clenched his jaw, the way he rested a hand on his sword, looking ready to strike any second. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Hana, because they definitely did after the prison outbreak last year, but they were surrounded by thick walls in the same building with a lot of people who, without a doubt, wanted them both killed. And if they were seen, even by a single person, in the prison of all places, then nothing good would come of it.

And Valkyrie had a bad feeling as it was. The last thing she wanted was a prison riot, or the blame for it.

“Here we are,” Hana mumbled, pausing in front of a door to an interrogation room. She unlocked it, opened it slowly to peek inside, glared at someone, and then stepped back to let the superheroes inside. “I’ve turned off the camera, but I strongly suggest that you don’t kill him. It would be super messy to clean up and I’d rather not do that.” A pause, a reassuring smile on her lips. “I’ll keep a watch here. When your time is up, I’ll knock on the door.”

Nodding, Sparrow took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders, and looked ready to actually kill someone as he stepped into the room. Just watching him, Valkyrie’s fingers were itching for her gun, but she forced herself to remain calm as she followed Sparrow inside.

Behind them, the door closed and locked.

And in front of them, Maximilien was sitting chained to the metal table, grinning widely at them.

“Look who finally decided to show up!” he said, looking them over and Valkyrie felt her blood run cold. But the door behind her was locked and she couldn’t possibly escape. Instead, she hugged her mug of coffee closer in a try to get her hands from trembling, taking deep breaths to calm her beating heart.

Maximilien was in prison, she reminded herself. He was chained to the table, without any weapons, and he couldn’t do anything to hurt them.

“Looking better than the last time we saw you,” Sparrow spoke, voice calm and collected and Valkyrie couldn’t figure out how he did it. How he wasn’t so _terrified_ of the man in front of them. “They patched you up nicely. Didn’t think they could do that in prison.”

Laughing, hollow and static, Maximilien leaned forward with his hands resting on the table, putting his face directly below the single lamp. And just like Sparrow had said, there were not a single trace of their last fight. The metal and machinery were once again covered by synthetic skin, and if not for the wicked grin on his lips and his calculating stare, he could’ve easily been mistaken for fully human.

“There’s nothing money can’t buy,” he said, keeping his grin as he looked over at Valkyrie. She had to force herself not to shrink beneath his cold stare. “And you’re still hiding behind your boyfriend, I see. Just as scared as always.”

Clenching her jaw, Valkyrie wanted nothing more but to flee the room, but she kept a neutral face. Knew better than to not let her feelings show, knew that it could give away too much. And Maximilien wasn’t afraid of using every weakness he could find.

She took a sip of her coffee, hiding her fear and anger. She had known this was a bad idea from the start, and she was angry at herself for ignoring her instincts to run while she could’ve. And then she got angrier over the fact that she even considered such a thing, when Sparrow was by her side and she knew so well that he wouldn’t let Maximilien hurt her again.

“There’s no use in trying to buy yourself time,” Sparrow spoke after a quick glance at Valkyrie, taking a step forward and his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword. “You know what is happening in the city. You know why we’re here.”

Maximilien shifted his gaze to Sparrow, his grin never faltering. He tilted his head slightly to the side, machines whirring quietly within. “Why, I have no idea what you are talking about! Please,” he gestured at Sparrow, as well as the handcuffs let him. “ _Enlighten me_.”

For the three whole years Valkyrie had known Sparrow, she had rarely seen him furious. Angry, occasionally yes, but not so furious that his eyes _sparked_ with it. Something green and ancient moving within. His fingers flexed, a shaky breath, a shift of his sword, and perhaps these small details would’ve escaped anyone else. But Valkyrie knew him. And she knew that Maximilien was playing with them, wanted to hear Sparrow admit their greatest failure out loud, and she knew that it was a wonder that Sparrow hadn’t drawn his sword yet.

Whenever they fought Maximilien outside, in the middle of the city, everyone was watching them and it would look bad, so terribly bad, if they were to kill someone. Superheroes didn’t end people’s lives, villains or not. But in there, in a small room without a camera and with a locked door behind them, no one would see and no one would know what happened. Nothing stopped Sparrow from cutting away that pleased smile of Maximilien’s, and Valkyrie found herself thinking that perhaps it would be worth the mess that followed if he did.

Yet Maximilien smiled at them, raised an eyebrow and waiting for an answer.

“There are children missing,” Valkyrie spoke in Sparrow’s stead, her voice ringing clear and unwavering in the room. Surprising perhaps them all, because she was still so very terrified of the man before them. “The numbers keep going up, and the kidnappings are suspiciously alike those ten years ago.”

A soft hum and Maximilien clasped his hands in front of him, looking every bit the businessman he had once been. “That sounds grim indeed. And you have not found them?” A pause, and his grin widened until sharp teeth could be seen. “Or are you perhaps accusing me?”

Growling, more feral than anything, Sparrow took another step forward. Fingers itching for a reason to draw his sword, to try the theory if he could truly cut whatever metal Maximilien was made of.

“No need to be so hostile, little bird!” Maximilien lifted his hands in a mocking surrender. “I am but a simple man, locked up in this… _building_. I have no connections to the outside and I am hardly able to kidnap children while I’m in here!” A laughter left him, low and cold and it seemed to echo in the room, sending chills up Valkyrie’s spine. “Not only that, but you’re accusing me of the kidnappings ten years ago as well! That is a quite farfetched theory, don’t you think?”

Sparrow glanced over at Valkyrie, something begging in his eyes, and she was a bit unsure what he wanted her to do. This had been his idea, not hers. It had been him who had suspected Maximilien for being involved in all of this, and she had no idea what he was even thinking or what he had expected! The villain before them never revealed his plans or confessed his crimes, no matter how much he liked to gloat and no matter how drenched in blood he was.

But, Valkyrie noticed, there was something wrong with all of this.

Last time they had seen Maximilien, he had spit curses at them, promising a horrible end to their career and to the city. Threats from him should always been taken seriously, because he could make them come true so easily.

Maximilien leaned back in his chair, looking between the two of them with a cold, calculated stare that didn’t carry an ounce of humanity left. Thriving in the silence.

“You look awfully pleased for someone who’s stuck in prison,” Valkyrie pointed out and broke the silence, kept her voice even as she walked past Sparrow and handed him her mug of coffee. Swallowed down her fear to slam her hands down on the table in front of Maximilien. He didn’t even flinch. “ _Especially_ for someone who is supposed to be transferred in a few days and probably waiting on a death sentence.”

“What a hostile attitude! And here I thought we were friends!” Maximilien clicked his tongue, slowly shaking his head, smile quickly disappearing. “You two never fail to disappoint.”

Narrowing her eyes, Valkyrie kept his gaze. Something was _definitely_ wrong. There was something he was hiding, behind that false smile and red stare, something important. She just didn’t know what.

But she did not have a good feeling about this.

She opened her mouth, was about to call him out on his bullshit, when there was a knock on the door. Both she and Sparrow paused, glancing over at the door, and another knock was heard.

“Guess you two are out of time.”

Snapping her gaze back to Maximilien, she gave him a glare that could’ve killed a weaker man. He only smiled back at her, lifting his hand to give her a mocking wave.

“Better hurry up and find those children,” he said just in time as Hana opened the door to get them out. “Or else someone might take a peek underneath that mask of yours.”

That made Valkyrie tense up, felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn’t know what she would’ve done if Sparrow hadn’t placed a warm hand on her shoulder and gently tugged her back.

“We need to go,” he whispered, breath ghosting over her cheek and she felt herself lean closer to him. The trembling in her fingers stopped and she slowly pulled away from the table, still keeping Maximilien’s gaze.

“One day,” she spoke, voice low and threatening and she felt Sparrow still by her side. “You will get what you deserve.”

Maximilien seemed completely unfazed by her words, didn’t even blink at the rage in Sparrow’s eyes. “Oh, I sure hope so.”

Without another word, Valkyrie turned away, wings fluttering underneath the coat. She marched up to Hana, Sparrow following her quickly, back straight and holding the mug of coffee close, and they both nodded their thanks to her as they walked out of the room.

“Just take the same way back as we came,” Hana said, fiddling with her keychain. “I need to get him back to his cell before someone notice.”

They didn’t linger, hurrying down the corridor without looking back. They knew they didn’t have a lot of time before the guard change, and they didn’t know how much Maximilien would talk on his way back to the cell, because all it took was a single word and a single threat for someone to come chasing after them. Things could quickly go downhill from there.

Valkyrie kept her breathing shallow until they stepped outside, glancing over at the cameras that were starting to turn back to their original position, and they both picked up their pace. Only when they were safely on the other side of the tall fence, halfway back to the hill they had used for cover, did Valkyrie breathe out.

“Sorry,” Sparrow said, and Valkyrie turned to him with a raised eyebrow because he had nothing to be sorry for. “I know how much you despise him. I just thought he could be helpful in some way.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She took a deep breath, felt a lot calmer once outside and no longer locked up in a room with the city’s worst criminal. “He is what he is, and I would’ve followed you here even if I’d known beforehand. Just,” she paused, gave him almost a desperate look. “Tell me next time.”

Because they were partners. The only secret they should keep from each other was their true identities, never things like this. And Sparrow must’ve remembered that too, once forgotten in stress and desperation to find anything useful, because he nodded, reaching out to brush his fingers over her hand.

“But it was a good idea you had,” Valkyrie continued once they were back behind their cover. They both paused and she turned to him fully, met his gaze and couldn’t help stepping a bit closer to his warmth. “He didn’t say anything, but he’s up to something. He is involved in some way. I _know_ he is.”

Sparrow gave her a look she couldn’t interpret. Perhaps it was worry or perhaps it was doubt, but he kept the small distance between them, didn’t make a move to close it like she had, in some way, hoped that he would.

“He can’t kidnap anyone from inside MAX, and he is always up to _something_.” A pause and he averted his gaze for only a moment. “I guess there’s nothing more for us to do other than keep patrolling, keep hoping.”

“Yeah,” Valkyrie whispered, tugging off the coat so she could wrap her wings around herself. “I guess.”

They parted without much else to say, and even as Valkyrie was heading home, drinking the last of her now cold coffee, she couldn’t keep her mind off of Maximilien. She _knew_ that he was involved, that he had a part of all of this, that being stuck in prison had never stopped him before. And she wasn’t going to let it go that easily.

She would simply have to find enough proof to convince Sparrow.

 

*

 

For the first time in over a year, Angela was late for class.

Usually it was Genji who was late, stumbling in as silently as anyone could, with messy hair and a flush on his cheeks from running. It happened so often that their classmates had stopped caring, barely glancing up from their notes as he entered, but as Angela opened the door to the classroom, not a single person kept their gazes away.

Taking a deep breath, feeling her cheeks flame with embarrassment and mortification, she avoided meeting anyone’s eye as she tried her best to sneak up to the empty seat next to Fareeha. But since Angela had been late, Fareeha was sitting next to a wide-eyed Jesse and Genji, who looked at her with curiosity in his eyes and she had to force herself to look away. It would only make it even more awkward if she stared at him, especially after their fake date, and _especially_ after she had bumped into him as Valkyrie and almost exposed herself.

She would just have to be even more careful from then on.

Slipping into the seat next to Fareeha, she picked up her notebook and fumbled with her pen, almost dropping it twice. Fareeha gave her a worried look and Angela didn’t look at her, instead trying to focus on what the professor was talking about. It proved a lot more difficult than she had thought, and soon she was spacing out, pen resting on her empty notebook. Fingers rubbing over her bracelet.

It had gotten warmer during the night, kept getting warmer and warmer with each passing day since the children had started going missing. It was almost burning her skin through the sleeve of her shirt, and she didn’t even want to think of what that could mean. It had never happened before. It was either as cool as metal could be, or naturally warmed from her wearing it.

But the burning couldn’t be a good sign.

“Angela.”

Fareeha nudged her and she blinked up at her friend, about to whisper back that they shouldn’t talk in class, when she noticed that the classroom was emptying.

“Huh,” she breathed, blinked once more, and packed up her notebook and pen. Fareeha watched with worry in her eyes, and to her side, Jesse and Genji paused as well.

“You’re distracted by something,” Fareeha said, leaning forward a bit with her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing. “I can tell. And I can probably guess why. Mom was up all night as well, watching the news, and at one point I thought she would-” She paused, cleared her throat with a quick glance at Jesse and Genji, and straightened up. “Either way, this isn’t like you.”

And Fareeha wasn’t exactly wrong. Angela was worried, just like anyone would be, over the discussions of how the city would be better off without any superheroes, of how they got in the way of the police, and every other argument they could think of, but that wasn’t the reason why she had been late. No, she had been up all night trying to connect the dots, trying to place Maximilien in all of this. To come up with some kind of proof.

Jesse cleared his throat, looking between Angela and Genji in a way that wasn’t suspicious _at all_ , before he smiled. “How ‘bout we eat some lunch together? Talk it out? Must’ve been a fascinating subject if Angie spaces out over it.”

Angela stood up, about to protest because she really didn’t want to talk about it, hadn’t made up any good excuses yet, and she didn’t even know what to say. But then she caught Fareeha’s eye and all protest vanished from her tongue. If she refused the lunch offer, her friend would only get even more worried, and the last thing she needed was for Fareeha to watch her like a hawk, no matter how kind her intentions might be.

“Sure,” she sighed, grabbed her bag and followed them defeated out of the classroom.

Fareeha had a good guess why Angela was distracted, or at least a bit of it, but Jesse and Genji didn’t need to know the reason. And if anything, the lunch would be an interrogation worse than any of the ones she had been put through by reporters. This time, she just didn’t have a mask to hide behind.

They took the indoor path to the cafeteria, to avoid the cold weather outside since Genji had been forgetful that day and hadn’t grabbed his jacket. But he had, as Jesse kindly pointed out, arrived in time. For once.

“It’s like you two have traded personalities,” Fareeha joked, grinning at Angela before she leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Is there something about the date you haven’t told me about? Perhaps something a second one could fix?”

Blinking, Angela glanced over at Fareeha, had been completely lost in thought. “Huh?”

“You weren’t listening again, were you?” The look Fareeha gave her was unimpressed more than anything, one eyebrow raised as if she couldn’t believe her friend. She slung an arm around Angela’s shoulder, forcing her to walk a bit slower to put some distance between them and Jesse and Genji. “You’re not making it super easy to set you two up again. Seriously, what’s up with you today? Genji has been acting strange as well!”

“Genji has?” Angela didn’t know what to think, looking over at their friends, but as far as she could see, Genji wasn’t acting any stranger than any other day. Sure, his hair was a bit messier, and he had bags under his eyes, and Fareeha had said he’d been on time. “Perhaps we are all just a bit worried. About the missing children.”

“Well, you shouldn’t! There’s nothing to worry about. The superheroes will solve this, I’m sure,” Fareeha said, pausing as they caught up to Jesse and Genji again, having reached the cafeteria.

They remained quiet as they ordered some food, and as they sat down at their regular table, Angela almost thought that they had forgotten the interrogation part. Still, she was stiff and tried to make as little noise as she could, moving slowly and carefully as she picked up her sandwich.

To her surprise, Genji was the one who spoke first, giving her a worried look that reminded her of the ones Sparrow had given her just yesterday. “Hey, Angela. Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes.” She swallowed, slowly lowering her sandwich, trying to sound as sincere as possible. “I am absolutely fine.”

He gave her a doubtful look and she had to avert her gaze or else she would start feeling guilty, which was ridiculous because she didn’t need to tell anyone why she was so distracted, or why she was feeling down, or why she had been late. But she wasn’t used to talking to Genji, wasn’t used to him even seeing her, that she wasn’t ready when he didn’t drop the subject.

“No, you don’t look fine,” he said, putting down his fork and leaning a bit closer over the table, and she regretted choosing the seat across from his. “But I get it. I mean, how can you not be worried? Even _I’m_ worried!”

“Yeah, I’m feeling it too!” Jesse said, chewing his second sandwich as if he hadn’t eaten in days. And if Angela looked closer, she could see the small twitch in his fingers, as if he was just as nervous as the rest of them. “Hell, none of us knows what will happen if the superheroes disappear too!”

“If?” Fareeha raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean _when_? They’ve been discussing it on TV for the past two days now, and they all seem to agree that Valkyrie and Sparrow do more harm than good.” She scoffed, looking like she had lost her appetite. “I don’t want them to disappear either, but if I were in their shoes, I would feel very threatened by those reporters.” 

“Who knows? Perhaps their identities are revealed before they can disappear,” Angela mumbled, picking at the salad sticking out from her sandwich. The table got silent at that, everyone staring at her and she blinked, looking up from her food. Felt her cheeks flush and she shrank back in her seat. “Did I say that out loud?”

Fareeha shifted a bit, eyes wide and full of worry, and Jesse looked as if he had seen a ghost. “Damn, you’re a lot gloomier than I thought.”

Angela whispered a sorry, wishing nothing more but to sink through the chair or to get up and run away, but she forced herself to sit still in her seat. Being afraid that the superheroes would disappear was a good excuse for her distant mood, but running away would just give them even more reason to worry, more reason to suspect that something more was going on.

Genji shifted, reaching over the table to gently grab Angela’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he withdrew again. Warmth lingering on her skin and she felt her cheeks flush even warmer.

“I don’t think they’ll be able to find out about the superheroes true identities,” he said, sounding so sure that Angela almost wanted to believe him. “They don’t even know about it themselves, and they seem to keep their secrets a lot better than that old guy in Overwatch did.”

“Jack Morrison?” Jesse offered and Genji nodded.

“Yeah. But Valkyrie and Sparrow wouldn’t be as stupid as him. They wouldn’t let themselves be caught like that.” He nodded to himself, picking up his fork again to stab absentmindedly in his salad. “And they won’t just disappear before they’ve solved the case.”

“But it’s a bit hopeless, isn’t it?” Angela said, fiddling with her sandwich as an excuse to not look up and meet Genji’s warm gaze. She knew that she couldn’t give up, wouldn’t let herself, yet it was so easy to express her concerns to Genji. For some strange reason. “They haven’t found any leads, and this was a case that brought down Overwatch! There’s no way they can hope to solve this before time runs out-“

“They will,” Genji interrupted, voice so sure and _serious_ that Angela looked up, meeting his gaze. Warm and dark and something dangerous within, and if she hadn’t known any better, she would’ve thought it was Sparrow in front of her. And it wasn’t the first time she’d had that thought, and it was ridiculous, she knew.

Genji and Sparrow were so _different_. They couldn’t possibly be the same person, and it was absurd of her to even think in those lines.

Jesse gave a low whistle, having finished his food already, fingers drumming lightly against the edge of the table. “You seem really sure of that. Not that I disagree, ‘cus I don’t. If anyone can solve it, it’s Valkyrie and Sparrow.”

Fareeha hummed in agreement, picking up her fork and poked her food before she started eating again. And Angela looked down on her own sandwich as silence fell among them once more, her stomach twisting and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep the food if she kept eating.

She knew the pressure from before, that they had to solve the case or else everything would be over for them. But it was easy to think that if they failed, she would fall alongside Sparrow, and she wouldn’t be alone. But when her friends were so sure that the superheroes could solve it, that there was no way for them to fail, then how could Angela possibly allow herself to think of failure? It wasn’t an option anymore, because if they did fail, then so many more would fall with them. Yet, she knew that there was no chance of them ever solving the case.

She felt trapped between two impossibilities, and she didn’t have any wings to carry her away.

Her bracelet flamed through her shirt, and she winced, hiding her hand from view. Quickly caught Genji’s curious glance before he looked away, warmth on his cheeks and she couldn’t even hope to guess what he was thinking.

“You know, perhaps it’s something the two of you can discuss further?” Fareeha spoke up, perhaps in a try to break the silence, smiling innocently as she looked between Angela and Genji. “Perhaps on a lunch out?”

Angela met Genji’s gaze for a moment before she looked away, grabbing her plate with the half eaten sandwich. “No. There’s nothing left to discuss.”

There was nothing more she could say, and without another word, she gave in to her urge to run, desperate for some fresh air to clear her thoughts. She ignored Fareeha’s and Jesse’s protests as she left them and threw away the food before rushing down the corridor. She had been late to the first class and she probably wouldn’t be able to focus on the afternoon class either, and so she decided that it would just be better to head home.

After all, she had a lot to think about. Things to consider and she had to _fix this_. Whatever the cost, whatever happened, even if the bracelet burnt through her skin and chose another, she couldn’t give up.

She needed to solve this. 

 

*

 

Later that week, on a quiet night when not even the wind dared to blow, a rumble shot through the ground. For a few moments, it was written off as a rare earthquake, before the police and media arrived at the prison at the outskirts of the city. A prison with a large, gaping hole leading into an empty cell. The edges still smoking.

“There is no need for concern,” the police chief assured the public in the absence of the heroes. Cameras flashed and recording devices were pushed against his face. “No one was killed and no one was harmed.”

And there was only a single prisoner that had escaped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the long wait! As you all are aware, I had an internship and didn’t have time to write. However, during that time, I also slipped on some ice and got a crack through my wrist, so I definitely couldn’t write. But I’m back now, and I apologize once again for the long wait!
> 
> Make sure to check out [this awesome fanart](https://midorinarukami.tumblr.com/post/168031682027/) by [Midorinarukami](https://midorinarukami.tumblr.com/), and [this one](http://zeearts.tumblr.com/post/167308839510/) by [Zeearts](http://zeearts.tumblr.com/)! Thank you both so much! <3
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Angela heard about it first three days after the incident.

To her defense, she had promised Sparrow to stay away from the news while they were trying to solve the case of the missing children, but looking back at it, perhaps she shouldn’t have promised such a thing. Because when she sat there, lips parted and eyes wide, staring at Fareeha like she had grown a second and a third head, she really wished she had heard about if beforehand. It would’ve spared her a lot of sudden pain.

“Wait,” Fareeha said, one eyebrow raised as she looked Angela over. “Are you serious? You haven’t heard?”

“No!” Angela all but squeaked out, voice a little too loud and a little too shrill, a panic in her throat that she couldn’t swallow down. A few meters away, the librarian looked up with a sour expression and Angela ducked her head, lowering her voice. “What do you mean _Maximilien escaped prison?!_ ” She gestured in front of her, words momentarily lost. “When? _How?_ ”

That prison was supposed to be secure. There hadn’t been a safer place to keep Maximilien in the city, and it certainly wouldn’t have been possible for him to break out from prison again. The city had learnt from their mistakes three years ago, had created new handcuffs that neutralized the electricity in his arms, had created a cell just for him in MAX with walls so thick that only a nuclear bomb should’ve been able to break them open, had kept him under a watchful eye and kept track of his every move.

But, Angela remembered with a frown, Hana had been able to sneak him out of his cell without anyone seeing and without anyone knowing, allowing Valkyrie and Sparrow to talk to him. And if a prison guard could so easily take him out for a walk in the middle of the night, then perhaps their security wasn’t as high as they had promised the superheroes.

“I don’t know _how_ , really,” Fareeha said, pen tapping her notebook, frowning down on it as if it had greatly offended her. “The experts can’t figure it out either. According to the news, it’s as if the cell has been _melted_ open from the outside, which shouldn’t have been possible and there’s no force on earth that’s hot enough that you can handle that easily to break into _only one cell_ and not damage anything around it.” She gave a small shrug. “Technically, Maximilien should’ve been dead if such a force, if such a _heat_ , melted one of the walls in his cell.”

“He isn’t fully human though. That’s why they’ve taken precautions,” Angela pointed out, relaxing just slightly, because there must be some logical explanation to all of this.

Fareeha shrugged once more. “Still, he isn’t completely indestructible.” She gave Angela a pointed look. “Sparrow and Valkyrie have managed to hurt him plenty of times. He even manages to hurt himself!”

Angela scoffed at that, but Fareeha was right. If what she said was true, then there would’ve been no way Maximilien could’ve survived. But then again, they lived in an age of superheroes, where children went missing in the blink of an eye, without any logical explanation. So why not just add one more thing to that list of impossibilities?

“I knew he was hiding something,” Angela grumbled down at her homework, voice barely audible and Fareeha gave her an odd look before she shrugged it off and returned to her own notebook. Angela gripped her pen, dangerously close to breaking it in half and unable to concentrate.

Because Maximilien had acted _so suspiciously_ when she and Sparrow had interrogated him, all too pleased with himself despite his situation. And sure, Sparrow was right that he was always up to _something_ , but what if he had known about the escape beforehand? What if he had never planned on being transferred? What if he truly had something to do with the missing children, and whatever he had planned required him to break out? But even though Maximilien could be terrifying, not even he could do the impossible and melt a wall from the outside, not while he was still securely inside. 

The thought was almost ridiculous, because the egoistical multi-billionaire always worked alone, and would never be able to stand someone by his side. And Angela almost laughed at the thought, because it was impossible in its own right.

But a lot of impossible things had happened lately.

So what if Maximilien wasn’t alone in all of this?

It would explain his escape from prison. It would explain the smugness on his face as he waited in his cell, as comfortable as anyone could be sitting behind the scenes and pulling the strings. It would explain so much, yet awoke new questions that almost made Angela dizzy thinking about it.

“Hey,” she whispered, glancing up at Fareeha and noted that she hadn’t gotten anywhere with her homework either. “Do you think someone broke him out of prison? He couldn’t have done it himself.”

Fareeha gave her a blank stare, a slow blink, and Angela became nervous that she had asked the wrong question. But then Fareeha laughed. Bright and warm, calming Angela’s nerves just slightly and convincing her for only a second that she must’ve thought about it wrong, that there was no way Maximilien would’ve worked with someone else.

“Oh wow!” Fareeha grinned at her, chuckles trembling in her body, and Angela gave her a weak smile. “That’s quite a theory! You’ve really stayed away from the news for too long, if you can come up with things like that!” A pause, another glare from the librarian and she lowered her voice, leaning closer to Angela. “It’s _Maximilien_ we’re talking about! He blows up the buildings of any potential rival! The world will most likely end before he works together with _anyone_.”

“I just,” Angela took a deep breath. “I just think it’s weird.”

“Think of it this way then; what would anyone gain from releasing Maximilien from prison?” She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Angela’s answer that took a few seconds too long, and just when she was about to argue, Fareeha spoke again. “See? No one would gain anything from it! Except chaos and destruction, but media is doing a good job at that already, so anything more isn’t really needed.”

Angela closed her mouth, her frown deepened. Staying away from the news and media had helped her concentrate in some way, she wasn’t as stressed anymore by the reporters’ and experts’ opinions. She was just _so very tired_ , and she guessed that she was still in some state of disbelief over Maximilien’s escape. If this had happened a week or two ago, she would’ve had a complete meltdown. Now, she only felt a mild panic and desperation. But the situation was already bad as it was, and things wouldn’t change much if it got a bit worse.

“Is it really that bad?” She mumbled, almost afraid to ask. “Shouldn’t there be an investigation going on already? Aren’t the police doing anything?” A pause, a deep breath. “The superheroes?”

“And what can the police possibly do against a supervillain?” Fareeha huffed, shaking her head slowly. “And Valkyrie and Sparrow haven’t been seen yet, and people are going crazy, thinking that they’ve abandoned us! But seriously, _come on!_ I can’t even imagine the pressure they’re under, with everything that’s going on!”

Angela winced, didn’t really need the reminder, but Fareeha continued without pause, a strange sort of hurt in her voice. And Angela guessed that it must’ve been hard for Fareeha as well, with Ana at home who refused to turn the TV off even for just a moment.

“First, a lot of children goes missing, something that shut down Overwatch ten years ago. And now, the city’s worst criminal and mass-murderer breaks out of prison in some strange, unexplainable way! This is probably the worst that could’ve happened to Valkyrie and Sparrow.” She put down her pen on the table, reaching over for her phone instead. “And you know what? You should watch the news as well. Seriously, I can’t believe you didn’t know!”

“Well, I haven’t been watching the news for a while,” Angela answered, fidgeting a bit in her seat. “You suggested I stay away from it, since I got so gloomy. So I have. And,” she reminded her friend, “you said that media was exaggerating everything anyway.”

“I know, but you can’t exaggerate a _headhunt_! This is kinda big news!” Fareeha scrolled down on her phone until she found a live video from the local TV-station. She lowered the sound to an acceptable volume before shuffling closer to Angela, shoulders bumping together as they watched.

Immediately, Angela felt dread settle in her stomach as reality slapped her in the face. It was one thing hearing about it from her friend, just the barest of warnings before the video started, and it was another seeing Valkyrie’s and Sparrow’s faces on the small screen. A large sum of money presented underneath the pictures.

As if they were criminals.

“- _still no news about our superheroes. Question is, can we still call them_ heroes _after their long silence? After they let a world-known criminal escape from prison?_ ”

The news reporter turned to the panel of experts, the very same ones who had been visiting the studio when they had discussed if the world really needed heroes at all. Apparently, they had already come to a conclusion about that. 

“ _It is true that they should’ve been the first ones at the prison, but it is absolutely unacceptable that they still, three days after, haven’t said anything about the matter! Not even a simple statement!_ ”

“ _It’s become apparent that we can’t put our faith in the people who promised to protect us. They’ve let our children go missing and now let a criminal escape prison. What will they allow next?_ ”

“ _They’re just regular, selfish people underneath those masks! They can’t be trusted!_ ”

The reporter turned back to the camera, the pictures of the superheroes shown once more. “ _After a long discussion with our expert panel, we now turn to the public for help. The one who can reveal Valkyrie’s and Sparrow’s true identities will be rewarded. All we desire is clear proof, such as a picture of them without their masks or a video while they transform._ ”

Curling her hands into fists, Angela bit her tongue to keep herself from speaking. To curse the reporter and say things that would’ve surprised even Jesse, because _how dared they_.

“ _And now, let’s discuss the theories you all have about their true identities_ ,” the reporter spoke, and the camera focused on one of the experts. “ _Before, you claimed that we can narrow the suspects down to-_ “

“Bullshit!”

Angela stood up from the table, so sudden that the chair threatened to tip over behind her, and Fareeha looked up at her with wide eyes. The librarian glared over at them once more with a final warning on her tongue.

“This is absolute bullshit!” Angela hissed, grabbing her things and shoving them down her bag, wanting nothing more but to run home.

Fareeha watched her for a second, too startled in the sudden change of mood, before she grabbed her own things and hurried after Angela as she stormed out of the library, much to the librarian’s relief. Fareeha was trying to keep up with her while trying to put away her things in her bag without dropping anything, but Angela rushed through the corridors and didn’t slow down until she was outside, breathing in the cold air of late autumn. Only then did Fareeha smooth out her coat, giving Angela a confused glare, as if she wasn’t sure if she should be angry or not.

“What has gotten into you?!” She grabbed Angela’s arm, forcing her to meet her eye. “Seriously! This is affecting you way too much!”

“I’m fine,” Angela said, quickly avoiding eye contact and took half a step back. “It’s just… They demand the heroes to fix this, but they’re not given a single honest chance!” She took a deep breath, felt her hands tremble. “Why not try and find Maximilien instead of chasing after the people sworn to protect everyone?!”

Fareeha’s grip on her arm tightened for a moment as she searched Angela’s face, and Angela couldn’t make herself look back at her friend. Then Fareeha sighed, releasing her and letting her shoulders slump.

“Mom said the same thing, this morning,” she mumbled, just loud enough for Angela to hear, something pleading in her voice. “You’re becoming more and more like her, and I know that can’t be good for you. For anyone.” A pause, a deep breath. “And I know that this is hard to accept, but perhaps they’re right.”

Feeling her breath stuck in her throat, she looked back at Fareeha. Felt betrayed even though it was such a ridiculous thing to feel, because her friend didn’t know the truth. And it took a moment before she regained her ability to speak, voice barely a whisper of disbelief. “What?”

“You know.” Fareeha shrugged, shifted the weight of her bag on her shoulder. “The reporters. Perhaps the superheroes’ time is over. Perhaps it’s just best for them to disappear while they can, before their identities are revealed and their lives are ruined. I would hate for them to turn out like Jack Morrison.”

“But didn’t you listen to what Genji said just a few days ago? That Valkyrie and Sparrow are too smart to be caught like that!” She paused, slowly shaking her head, eyes wide, and when she looked back at her friend, Fareeha was frowning at her. As if Angela was holding onto a childhood fantasy and wasn’t facing the horrible truth. “Some people still believe they can find the children, that they can solve this case. So how can they possibly just disappear then?”

“Well,” Fareeha huffed out, took a step forward and closed the distance between them, so close that Angela could see her breath in the chilly air. “They’re people too, you know. Without their masks. They’re probably scared to death after all of this, and I don’t want them to disappear either, but they’re just human! Like you and me! And they have a choice, to just let everything go and disappear and no one would know where to put the blame. It would be the easiest, the smartest, thing to do!”

All Angela could do was blink at her friend, completely speechless. Because that was what she had been thinking, so many times since this all started, that she could flee so very easily. That no one would know. And she was scared and angry and didn’t know what to do, didn’t even know what to trust and what was real anymore.

But the fact still remained that she was a superhero.

She couldn’t just give up.

“The media is right, huh?” She whispered, didn’t have the heart to be angry at her friend, knew that she couldn’t possibly understand just how this was affecting Angela and it was impossible for her to tell Fareeha. “Then what if they catch them, just like they did with Morrison? What if their identities are revealed to the public? What if their lives are ruined and everything goes to shit? What then?”

Fareeha took a deep breath. They had grown up together with Overwatch watching over them, had seen superheroes every day on their way to school, and they had cried together when Overwatch fell. And just the same, they had watched as two superheroes rose from the ashes, watched them fight for seven years to keep the city safe, until the torch was passed on to Valkyrie and Sparrow.

Angela loved superheroes just as much as Fareeha did, and she still held on to the belief that Fareeha should’ve been chosen by the bracelet instead of her. Because even now, she seemed so strong, as she spoke the words neither of them wanted to hear.

“Then I suppose it will truly be the end of superheroes.”

For a moment, Angela could only stare, tears burning in her eyes because hearing Fareeha say it out loud made it all seem a bit too real, a bit too close. As if it would all happen if Angela took just one more step.

And it took a moment longer to remind herself that it hadn’t happened just yet. Their identities were safe for now, and she would do anything in her power to keep it that way. She couldn’t just give up that easily, couldn’t let her identity be revealed by some furious reporters, not after three whole years of denying Sparrow the right to take a peek underneath her mask. It would all be too cruel, for both of them.

Not knowing what to say in response, Angela turned away and began walking. They still had to get to their next class, and she told herself that she shouldn’t make it a habit of arriving late, and she used that as an excuse to flee the conversation. Didn’t know what she’d say or do if she had lingered.

If Fareeha was irritated at her, she didn’t show it as she quickly caught up with her, keeping her steps even and gaze on the ground. They had never really fought, never like this. Disagreed, yes, but not argued the way they had now.

Perhaps the stress of being a superhero on the brink of failure was tearing on Angela a little too much than she’d like to admit.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second and reminded herself that she couldn’t be mad at Fareeha for only wanting the best for her. She had watched her own mother change completely after the fall of Overwatch, returning only once a year for the anniversary, and the time between they didn’t know if she was even alive. She understood that Fareeha was scared, that she was seeing Ana in Angela, and if there was one fear that Angela really and truly understood, it was the one of losing everyone dear to you.

“So,” she mumbled, cleared her throat and tried again, hoped that the light humor in her voice would lighten the mood a little. She wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to survive if Fareeha walked away from her now, when they both needed the support the most. “You’re not thinking about finding out their identities are you? Join the masses, with torches and all that?”

There was a pause, and Angela carefully glanced over at her friend, who only stared at her with wide eyes. Then her lips parted in a grin, a soft laughter escaping her.

“Nah, I would never be able to do such a thing,” she said and gave a heavy sigh, and with it, she seemed to push away all of her anger and worry. Perhaps she supposed that Angela was fine if she was able to joke about it. “I wouldn’t be able to ruin someone’s life like that. And I don’t think mom would ever forgive me if I did.” A pause, a hesitant glance at Angela, as if she was threading on thin ice. “However, I’ve been thinking.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Angela said, felt a smile spread on her lips.

“Very.” Fareeha grinned back before turning her gaze forward again, kicking a small rock in her path. “Do you think that they’re still the same without their masks? I mean, we could’ve met them without realizing it. Valkyrie might be our teacher or that cute girl at the gym, or she could be anyone with blonde hair and blue eyes. She could even be _you_ and I would never know!”

Angela raised an eyebrow in disbelief, yet didn’t feel an ounce of worry. Especially not after their previous conversation. “You really think I could be Valkyrie?”

Fareeha took a second look at her, remained silent for a few seconds before she burst out laughing. “Alright then. Not you. But anyone else who looks like that! I just think it’s strange that they could be _anyone_. They’re just like you or me.”

“You should definitely call the news and tell them that,” Angela huffed. “Might give them a good lead or might even bring some conscience back to them. Which,” she added at Fareeha’s laughter, “they _really_ need.”

Shaking her head slowly, Fareeha grinned back at her, and for a moment Angela felt relief that her best friend wasn’t angry at her anymore. But if she knew her right, she couldn’t stay angry for long either. They were too similar in that sense.

They walked the last bit over campus in silence, Angela eyeing the heavy clouds in the distance, thinking about what Fareeha had said, turning the words over and over and wondered if perhaps she had a point after all. And only when they had gotten inside once more, trying to find the room for their next class, did Angela speak again, her voice low and uncertain.

“I want you to know that whatever happens, however this might end, I won’t leave your side.” She glanced up at Fareeha. “I promise you that.”

“Yeah,” Fareeha gave her that odd look again, yet smiled as if nothing was wrong. “I just hope it’ll all be over soon.”

They entered the classroom, finding Genji and Jesse already there, and they approached with warm greetings and small chatter of the cold weather and everything else that had happened since they had last seen each other. But even though Angela tried to be active in the conversation, trying to act as if nothing was wrong, something must’ve given her away. Because Genji kept looking at her, worry written in the wrinkle between his eyebrows, and whenever their eyes met, he looked away just as quickly again.

And truth be told, Angela didn’t have time to worry over her old crush, shouldn’t mind what a friend thought of her, not when her reputation and _life_ were at stake. She knew that these were dangerous times, not just for her, but for everyone. And old crush or not, she would protect them all, as was her job as Valkyrie, for as long as she was wearing that mask.

But perhaps, she thought, _just_ _perhaps_ , there were things not even a superhero could solve.

 

*

 

Gunshots rang in the air and Valkyrie threw herself behind a pillar, heart beating too fast in her chest, her breath stuck in her throat. To her side, behind a pillar of his own, Sparrow was gasping for breath, clutching his leg where a bullet had struck him, where he hadn’t been fast enough to block the cascade of bullets aimed for his heart. 

“Shit,” Valkyrie hissed through her teeth, gripping her staff hard until her knuckles whitened. This was bad. Very, _very bad_. She guessed that they must’ve been too unfocused by Maximilien’s escape, at least Valkyrie knew she was, that they accidentally turned something very easy into something incredibly hard.

They shouldn’t have let the thieves reach their bag full of guns when they did. They should’ve been more attentive, should’ve seen the bag before it was too late. They shouldn’t have done so many things since they first stepped into the supermarket to fight off the robbers, that Valkyrie was almost angry at herself.

But what was done, was done. And sure, it would’ve most certainly been simpler to take out the small criminal league if they didn’t have shotguns and whatnot, but at the same time, Valkyrie and Sparrow had fought much worse enemies in the past. They would simply have to deal with it.

“How’s your leg?” Valkyrie called over the gunfire, and Sparrow sent her a quick look, which seemed more like a wince. “That bad, huh? Think you can stand?”

“The bullet didn’t go through,” he called back, pain in his voice and Valkyrie gave him a sympathetic look. She was mostly the one who got hurt, had strangely gotten used to it by now. And she could count all the times Sparrow had been the one to get hit on a single hand, and since he was the quick one and with a sword, she would’ve easily taken the bullet in his place.

But this was really bad luck, for a bullet to get stuck in the wound. For one, the wound wouldn’t heal, would keep reopening itself until the bullet was removed. Then they would actually have to remove it, which was a pain barely worth the trouble in Valkyrie’s experience, and that couldn’t be done easily in the middle of a fight.

“Just stay there,” she said, hoped that her voice didn’t waver all too much. “Put some pressure on it and try not to move.”

Something flashed in his eyes, perhaps desperation, a certain sort of helplessness of being left out of the fight, and Valkyrie had felt that so many times before. He sat up a bit straighter, looked like he was about to stand up, but Valkyrie gave him a warning glare and he slowly sank back down with a hand pressing down on the wound.

“We’re about to lose everything if things don’t go well,” she whispered, words only meant for herself, to gather some kind of courage for what she was about to do. “I can’t afford to lose you too.”

She grabbed her gun, reloading it quickly to make sure she had a full clip, and then she fluffed up her wings. The ceiling was high, not enough to take flight, but enough to keep her off the ground for only a moment, to keep the bullets away from Sparrow.

With a deep breath, she swallowed down any fear that sped up her heart, and stood up from the floor.

Immediately, a new wave of bullets shot past her, biting into the pillar dangerously close to her head. She waited patiently until there was a moment of silence, the masked men reloading their guns quickly, and then she rounded the pillar.

A bullet shot past her head, gracing her cheek and smearing it with blood, but she didn’t let the pain stop her, wings spreading wide as she leapt through the air. And her wings were strong, carrying her forward quickly and straight into the group of robbers, firing her gun and hitting one of them in the stomach. With a pained grunt, he collapsed in a heap and didn’t move again.

A gun clicked, and she twirled quickly, ducking away from the bullet. Behind her, one of the men sank down to the floor with a silent groan, blood spreading over his chest.

“ _Shit!_ ”

Wasting no time, Valkyrie fired at the man with his gun pointed at her head, and this close there wasn’t much of a chance of missing. The bullet hit his shoulder and he screamed in pain before falling down to the floor. Quickly, Valkyrie stepped over him, kicking his gun away to avoid any surprises later.

“Don’t just stand there!” One of the robbers lifted his shotgun towards her, aiming for her chest. “Kill her! _Fucking kill her!_ ”

There was no warning before the shotgun was fired, but Valkyrie had been ready for it, quickly diving to the side, wings tucked close to her back to avoid being hit. She rolled on the floor, quickly getting back up on her feet, shooting her gun towards the man. He threw himself to the side, the bullets missing him just barely.

To her side, the three men seemed to gather their courage once more, firing their weapons at her and creating a cascade of bullets once more. With curses on her lips, Valkyrie ducked down, bracing herself for the pain.

But it never came.

The sound of bullets brushed off of metal filled the air, and it sounded like music in Valkyrie’s ears. Yet when she looked up at Sparrow, she gave him a scolding look and a gentle shove on his shoulder.

“I told you to stay still,” she hissed and he turned to give her a sheepish smile, helping her up from the floor with a steady hand.

“Don’t worry, the bullet is out,” he said, warmth in his voice and without a trace of pain in his eyes the moment he met her gaze. “It’ll take a moment to heal, but I can’t leave you all alone. As you said, I can’t afford to lose you too.”

Blinking at him, Valkyrie was dumbfounded for a moment before she caught his cocky grin, and then she quickly turned away from him with a huff, cheeks a bit warmer. Her gun was exchanged for her trusted staff, her back pressed against Sparrow’s as the criminals surrounded them.

“Besides, we’re partners,” Sparrow spoke. “We do this together.”

Valkyrie huffed again, twirling her staff in her hands, keeping a watchful eye on the man with the shotgun. “Just admit it, you want to look cool once the media arrives.”

Clearing his throat, Sparrow turned slightly, back shifting against Valkyrie’s and she could almost sense his nervousness. “Uh, yeah, about that-“

There was a _click_.

And a camera went off the moment the shotgun did.

Sparrow must’ve been ready, must’ve known that Valkyrie would tense up at the sudden presence of the media, and he acted before the bullets hit her chest, foot swiping out and tripping her off balance. The bullets gracing her chin instead.

“When did they…?” she began to ask, but the man quickly reloaded the shotgun and she cut herself off, raising her staff and lashed out against him. A curse left him as he raised the gun to block her, but she let her wings spread out and carry her above him, twisting to kick him in the back, sending him straight towards Sparrow.

And although Sparrow was fighting off three other men, deflecting their bullets and inflicting minor wounds in legs and arms, he was still ready for Valkyrie’s move. He turned quickly, and before the man could aim his shotgun up towards the superhero, he brought down his boot with a sickening _crunch_. The shotgun clattered to the floor, the man’s head rolled to the side with a broken nose that would probably never look pretty again.

At the loss of their supposed leader, the three men that were left looked increasingly nervous, glancing between each other and waiting for someone to step up in the now free position.

“It’s over,” Sparrow spoke, taking a step forward, sword resting with tip downwards and yet he was ready to strike at any sign of threatening movement. “Better just give up before it’s too late.”

Valkyrie rested her staff on one shoulder, hand on her hip as they waited for the criminals’ next move. And perhaps they would’ve done something stupid, one of them already beginning to raise his gun with a trembling hand, but they never had a chance. Because behind Valkyrie, from the front of the store where the doors had been blown open and windows shattered, came the rumble of people talking over each other. The mix of shouts and screams of the superheroes’ names and curses, the click of cameras going off faster than they could think.

Feeling her blood run cold, Valkyrie threw a quick glance over her shoulder, fearing the worst.

When they had first started out as superheroes, when they were still new at the job, the public and media respected them. At least somewhat. They gave them some distance, knowing that there would be time for interviews and autographs and whatnot if they were patient. The media had let them do their job, had only become impatient later on and most of the time they had knocked on doors and demanded things the superheroes couldn’t give them, making up stories more extravagant each time. But then they had grown restless and angry and _furious_ , and all the things media shouldn’t be. Had chased them for blocks and hours on end only to try and put the blame on someone, even though it was entirely misplaced from the start.

So Valkyrie had expected it to happen eventually, had only hoped that they would’ve waited a little longer.

Through the broken door and shattered glass, the media started to approach. Slow at first, vary of stray bullets, and then more determined with cameras on shoulders and recording devices raised. Behind them, the crowd of curious people quickly followed.

Valkyrie liked horror movies, she really did, but she never wanted to be in one. And it really felt like she was stuck in the middle of it as the crowd quickly approached, cameras flashing and shouts filling the air with a million questions and demands.

“Sparrow?” she whispered, voice not strong enough as she turned back to her partner, felt as if she was moving too slow. “We should really leave now.”

Sparrow turned slightly, following her gaze and gave a short nod. “Good call.”

Grabbing Sparrow’s hand, Valkyrie took off through the store, dragging him limping along after her. Behind them, the crowd grew as they tried to navigate through the maze of tall shelves and rubble.

“They’re gaining on us,” Sparrow huffed, voice riddled with pain and when Valkyrie glanced back, she saw his wince and the blood dripping down his leg. He wouldn’t be able to run much longer, and if they kept this up, he would lose too much blood before the wound was able to heal.

Perhaps it was lucky then, that Valkyrie sometimes shopped her groceries in that exact store and knew exactly where the emergency exit was. She picked up her pace, and Sparrow struggled to follow, yet didn’t complain even though his wound must’ve hurt.

“Just a little bit more,” Valkyrie mumbled, rounded the corner of a shelf, and stopped dead in her tracks. Her sudden stop made Sparrow bump into her, breathing heavy from the pain, barely able to stand up, and she reached out for him to keep him from falling to the ground.

He frowned at her, and she noticed that he had started to pale. There was a question on his lips, but then he followed her gaze, saw the small crowd blocking off the emergency exit just as they noticed the heroes.

So much for that luck.

“Ah _shit_ ,” Valkyrie hissed, felt a moment of panic as her plan was ruined so easily, trapping them like wild animals. And all she knew was that they couldn’t get caught, no matter what. Grabbing Sparrow’s arms, she wrapped them around her shoulders and tugged him up on his feet. “I need you to hold me tight and don’t let go, even though I know you’re going to hate this.”

Without protest, Sparrow tightened his hold on her, ragged breath tickling the crook of her neck. And she didn’t even know if her idea was going to work, could only hope for the best as she spread her wings and brought them into the air. Since the ceiling wasn’t high enough to let them actually fly, Valkyrie took long leaps instead, carrying them closer and closer to the approaching crowd.

“I’m going to head straight for the main entrance,” she whispered, felt Sparrow nod and his grip on her falter ever so slightly. She wrapped her own arms around him instead, gripping the fabric covering his armor tightly, afraid to let go.

And with a long, graceful leap, she carried them over the heads of wide-eyed reporters and screaming people reaching up for them with outstretched arms. Fingers brushed her feet and then her legs, and she spread her wings wider, as far as they could go, as they slowly descended to the ground. And suddenly hands were gripping her clothes, tugging and threatening to rip the fabric apart.

“I’ve got her!”

“Don’t let her go!”

“Grab Sparrow too! _Hurry!_ ”

Panic swelled in her throat, and she could barely see the entrance, held Sparrow tighter because she refused to give up, _refused_ to be caught now when they were so close. She tried not to glance down at the people as she beat her wings once, with just enough force to pull them back to the ceiling, fabric ripping to shreds as the people underneath them weren’t strong enough to hold on.

Her back brushed the ceiling and she felt Sparrow’s grip weaken, fingers slipping from their hold on her, and she held her breath, silently hoping that Sparrow could last just a little bit longer.

In desperation, Valkyrie wrapped her legs around him, clutched him even closer until she found it hard to breathe. Then she whispered “hold on” before she folded her wings and dove straight for the open entrance.

Glass graced her arms and wings, wounds she barely felt as they tumbled to the ground. Immediately, Valkyrie sat up, a hand pressing down on his wound and felt the warm blood coat her hand and slip through her fingers.

“Shit, _shit_ ,” she hissed, glancing up at Sparrow’s face, saw the pain in his eyes, the way his lower lip trembled. The light golden glow as his transformation threatened to release. “Hang on, Sparrow. _Please_.”

He clutched her arm, trying to hold on to something, and Valkyrie felt desperation rise in her throat. If only she had healing abilities, if only she’d had abilities like Horus from Overwatch or like Frostbite, to be able to close the wound. Instead, she was without any special abilities, could only stare helplessly as the wound didn’t close, even though they weren’t fighting anymore.

And with a sickening feeling in her stomach, Valkyrie realized why.

“You lied,” she whispered, couldn’t keep the hurt from her voice as she stared at Sparrow in disbelief. “You _lied_. Why would you-“

The flash of a camera cut her off and she quickly glanced over her shoulder, saw the crowd approaching. Saw the familiar reporter in a pristine blue coat followed by a cameraman just behind her, waving happily with questions already spoken, dangerously close.

“Are you or Sparrow hurt? What can you say about the situation inside?”

The reporter reached out for her and Valkyrie didn’t have time to move away, could only clutch Sparrow tighter, desperate to protect his identity if his transformation was to release any moment. Forgetting completely for a moment that she had an identity to protect as well.

Fingers brushed the edge of her mask, trying to find something to grab a hold on, camera zooming in on her face.

For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped.

Heart in her throat, panic rising in her very blood, Valkyrie acted on instinct. Her wings spread wide and fast, knocking away the reporter and her cameraman, and she gripped Sparrow as she took flight. It was hard, so very hard for both of them, with Sparrow slipping in her arms and with his transformation coming to an end. She dared a glance down at him as the ground shrunk beneath them, saw a bare hand, golden glow climbing over his arm.

“Hold on, Sparrow,” She whispered, didn’t know who she was trying to console. “Just hold on.”

They landed on a roof far away from the supermarket, high enough that they couldn’t be seen from the ground. She gently lowered Sparrow, helping him lie down and refusing to look at him as his transformation slowly crawled back. Instead, she focused on his leg, reaching out to put pressure on it until she could figure out how to get the bullet out. Noticed that her hands were trembling.

“Focus,” she whispered, couldn’t get her voice to work, tried to bite back the panic of almost having their identities revealed and losing Sparrow. “One step at a time. Get the bullet out. Worry about the rest later.”

Nodding to herself, Valkyrie took a deep breath, spreading her wings to cover Sparrow from her own sight, leaving only a jeans-clad leg. Sparrow gave a weak groan, perhaps tried to speak, but Valkyrie gently hushed him.

“This’ll hurt and you’ll probably pass out, but you’ll have to promise me one thing,” she whispered, gripping the small sword he carried before it disappeared with the transformation. “Don’t die on me.”

If Sparrow answered her, she didn’t hear it over her beating heart as she got to work on his wound.

 

*

 

The sun was starting to set when Sparrow finally stirred. The sound of his soft groan almost made Valkyrie turn to him in relief, and she had to remind herself that he wasn’t transformed.

And without pants.

“Are you awake?” she asked, kept her gaze firmly on the horizon. Her wings gave a nervous flutter as she heard Sparrow move behind her, and there was a pause before she spoke again. “I didn’t see who you are, don’t worry. Your identity is safe.” A pause. “And I had to remove your pants to get to the wound. I’m sorry.”

Sparrow cleared his throat and there was a soft rustling of fabric, and Valkyrie had to once again force herself to sit completely still. But it was easier to relax since she had watched the bleeding stop and the wound close up, and it was easier to think of all those small details she had seen even though she hadn’t wanted to. And she tried so hard to _not think about it_ , because the worst thing that could happen now was that she figured it out after having spent the whole afternoon worrying about his identity being safe.

She was definitely not thinking about his clean, short nails, or the expensive brand of jeans he was wearing, nor of the smooth skin or the fact that he was wearing green-

Shaking her head, she glared at the setting sun until colors started to dance in her vision. Her cheeks were burning and this was _definitely not the time_ because Sparrow had almost _died_ in her arms just hours before.

Behind her, she heard Sparrow move, and he was a lot noisier when he wasn’t transformed. Valkyrie decided that she didn’t like it.

“Thank you,” he spoke, voice low and raspy, and it sent a shiver down Valkyrie’s spine.

“You don’t have to thank me,” she answered and began to turn to glare at him instead, but stopped herself just in time as she heard his sharp intake of breath. “But why did you do it? Why did you lie?” A pause and she gripped the edge of the roof as if she needed the support. “You didn’t get the bullet out. You could’ve died.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Valkyrie felt fingers brush against her wings, a slow and careful touch. And her breath got stuck in her throat as Sparrow dragged his fingers over her feathers, tracing their pattern and sharpness. Her wings puffed up just slightly at the touch and Sparrow quickly withdrew, leaving Valkyrie a bit colder than before.

“I-“ Sparrow began, cleared his throat and tried again. “I didn’t have the time. You were in danger and I needed to help you.”

“I’m a superhero,” Valkyrie shot back. “I don’t need protection.”

“ _I can’t afford to lose you_. Wasn’t those the words you spoke?” A soft sigh, his breath ghosting her neck. “I can’t afford to lose you either. I couldn’t just sit back and watch it happen.”

Groaning, Valkyrie leaned forward and put her head in her hands. She didn’t know what to answer, couldn’t possibly think of anything good to say, because she couldn’t really blame Sparrow for jumping back into the fight to save her from harm when she would’ve done the same for him if their roles had been reversed.

“I didn’t know it would turn out so badly,” she whispered, glancing down at her torn clothes. “They almost got us. Your transformation was about to release and that reporter, the one with the blue coat, almost got a hold on my mask.” A pause, a deep breath, as she remembered what Fareeha had said just the day before. “I don’t think we can continue this.”

“What do you mean?” Sparrow shifted closer to her and she leaned back slightly towards his warmth.

“I mean that perhaps it’s best if we disappear.”

There was a pause in the air, a pained heartbeat as the words sank in. And Valkyrie didn’t want to listen to her own words either, but she had to face reality. Things had started to become too dangerous. They could handle monsters and stray bullets, had accepted death as a possibility ever since they had transformed the first time, but they couldn’t possibly fight _everyone_.

“What we’re doing is dangerous, always has been, but it’s different now,” Valkyrie continued when Sparrow didn’t speak. “We’re not just being threatened by our enemies, we are being hunted by those we have sworn to protect as well. And that danger comes with too great risks.”

“Do you,” Sparrow began, interrupted himself to take a deep breath. “Do you really think that’s for the best? I mean, _why_? We have a case to solve, we have a city to keep safe!”

“And how can we possibly do that when there’s a price on our heads?” Valkyrie said, a bite in her voice that she supposed wasn’t fair. But she was tired and angry and had almost lost everything she had fought for. One moment longer and it would’ve all been gone. “The media are urging everyone to go out on a _headhunt_ after us! They demand us to fix things, to find the children and put Maximilien back where he belongs, but they’re not giving us a single damn chance to do that! So how, Sparrow? How the hell are we supposed to do our job then?!”

“All we can do is keep trying. Eventually we’ll solve this,” he tried, voice weak and carrying something desperate, and Valkyrie almost gave in to it.

“I’m not giving up! I’m not!” Valkyrie huffed, shaking her head and looking back up at the horizon. The sun had almost completely set. “We should disappear before they catch us, only show up when we’re truly needed. It’ll be safer, for both of us, if we keep low for a while.” A pause, hands curling into fists in her lap. “But I’m _not_ giving up.”

“But,” Sparrow began, and she could almost hear his frown, could feel him reaching out for her with a warmth that never connected to her back. “If we aren’t here, then who will protect everyone?”

Huffing, Valkyrie was almost about to turn once more, had to bite her lower lip to keep her from looking at Sparrow. It was hard, she realized, to have a conversation with someone she couldn’t look at, especially with Sparrow whose smiles could chase away all her worries so easily.

“Let the police do their work. The media has been complaining that we get in their way, after all.”

And finally that hand touched her back. Hesitant and warm and supportive, placed between her shoulder blades, and Valkyrie breathed out a sigh of relief as she felt him lean closer to her.

“People need us,” he tried, voice but a whisper. “I need you.”

“I know,” she whispered back, letting her eyes fall closed and allowed herself the moment of closeness. Didn’t know the next time she would see him, if there even would be a next time. “But we can’t save anyone if our identities are revealed. I don’t want to end up like Jack Morrison, to be dragged to court over the smallest of things, only to vanish with only a single note left behind. I can’t let that happen.”

She felt Sparrow shift behind her, heard his shaky breath, and she wondered what he was thinking. If he felt like she was abandoning him and her duties, like she was taking the easy way out and was only thinking selfishly.

But she had made her decision. And she was certain that this was the only way to get somewhere, to be able to solve the case and put Maximilien behind bars again.

“Promise me that this won’t be forever.” The hand pressed against her back, fingers clutching the fabric of her clothes. “Promise me that once things has calmed down and we’ve solved this, we can meet again.”

“I promise.”

There was a pause and Valkyrie began to stand up, feeling her own nerves start to relax, and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep up her transformation much longer. Not after all that stress and tense waiting. But Sparrow grabbed her hand, keeping her in place, and at first he didn’t speak, only held her hand as if this truly was the last time they would be seeing each other. Valkyrie let him, relaxed at the touch and wished for the millionth time that things would’ve turned out differently.

Then Sparrow took a deep breath and spoke. “I don’t know how we’ll be able to solve this if we can’t transform. If we can’t meet.”

“Sparrow,” she said, so soft that his name could’ve been a blessing. And she stood up fully, letting her hand slip from his. Felt the cold evening air grab a hold on it instead. “Without that mask, are you still you?”

He was silent for a few seconds, and perhaps he was trying to figure out exactly what she meant. Then, he seemed to reach a decision. “I’d like to think so.”

Nodding, she turned her gaze back to the city, wings spreading wide and ready to let the winds carry her.

“Then it won’t be a problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry once again for the delay, Christmas is a stressful time! On the other hand, we’ve come halfway and exciting things are about to happen!  
> But don’t worry everyone, I’ve got a plan! ;)
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

“Don’t you think Genji seems a bit too gloomy today?”

Angela raised an eyebrow, leaning closer to her friend so they could keep their voices low and not draw the angry librarian’s attention again, whispering back a “what?”

Fareeha nodded towards Genji and Angela followed her gaze, frowning at the way he was sitting slumped over his books at the table next to theirs, cheek resting in his hand. And every other second, he would sigh so heavy that Angela was beginning to wonder if he was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen.

“That’s strange,” Angela mumbled, head tilting slightly to the side as she watched him. She couldn’t remember any reason for him to be so down, other than the assignment they had gotten last class, but even then it wasn’t worthy of that many sighs.

“He’s been like that all day,” Fareeha said, slowly shaking her head as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, glancing over at Angela. “You didn’t do anything, did you? Like, broke his heart or something?”

“No, I already told you that we’re only friends.” She huffed, turning back to her tall pile of books about medical history. “Perhaps someone else broke his heart, but last I heard he wasn’t together with anyone.”

“Perhaps it’s his secret crush?” Fareeha whispered back and Angela could hear the grin in her voice, couldn’t possibly help herself but turn to her friend.

“Secret crush?”

“You know,” Fareeha began, lowering her voice even further for the drama of it all. “Someone he’s been crushing on. In _secret_.”

Angela only scoffed at that, shaking her head and stopped herself just in time from rolling her eyes. “That’s a rumor from like three years ago. I don’t think it’s reliable information anymore.”

“Perhaps not, but I’ll tell you that only a broken heart can make you sigh like that.” To prove her point, Fareeha let out a heavy sigh of her own, chin resting in her hand, staring at Genji as if they shared the pain.

Angela smiled at that, knew that her friend was only dramatic for the sake of it. Besides, she knew for a fact that everything was fine between Fareeha and Satya, that the engineering student had gone into radio silence for a few days as she studied for some big, important test about Very Important Things. And so she let Fareeha stare at Genji while she turned back to her work, absentmindedly scratching her wrist while reading.

Her bracelet had stopped burning since yesterday, after Sparrow had almost died and she had left him on that roof, and instead it had left her with a strange itch that didn’t seem to go away. Like a rash just beneath her skin, sometimes as sharp as a thousand needles, but at least the bracelet wasn’t as hot to the touch anymore.

She just didn’t know if that was a good sign or not.

But it allowed her to focus on her work in silence for a while, and she got half of it done before Fareeha shifted to her again, seemingly done with the sulking. Genji, on the other hand, seemed to have sunk deeper over his books, almost lying on top of them at that point, and looked as if he had given up completely on their assignment. 

Angela felt somewhat sorry for him.

Fareeha nudged her side, and at that point she was starting to think that Fareeha was only doing this as a means to procrastinate. “Alright, but if it isn’t a broken heart, then what could be the case?”

“This isn’t a _case_ ,” Angela answered, kept herself from wincing at the reminder. Because unlike Fareeha, she wasn’t procrastinating, but was rather doing the opposite. The sooner she finished her school work, the sooner she could sit down and focus on solving the case of the missing children and the missing villain. “Really, he could’ve just woken up on the wrong side of bed today. Or someone stepped on his cat, I don’t know.”

Fareeha hummed at that and didn’t seem too convinced and still a bit too determined to let it go that easily.

“Perhaps,” she spoke after a moment of silence. “He’s upset over the superheroes.”

At that, Angela froze. A chill of fear ran down her spine and she forced herself to smile and frown in confusion. She hadn’t had the time to watch the news yet. “The superheroes? What have they done now to hurt Genji?”

Fareeha blinked at her, one eyebrow raised and for once, Angela couldn’t read her and it made her more nervous that it should’ve. “Right, you probably haven’t heard.”

“I’ve been busy.”

Fareeha gave her a doubtful look, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back in her chair.

“In short, there was a robbery yesterday at the grocery store. You know the one at the corner with the flower shop and the tattoo parlor?” A pause and Angela nodded. “Yeah, well, Sparrow got shot and started to detransform. They almost caught it on camera!” She paused again to give Angela a serious look. “Then that bitch of a reporter, the one in the blue coat, you know who I’m talking about. She almost ripped off Valkyrie’s mask and you should’ve seen mom at that! She almost threw the remote at the TV!”

“That doesn’t sound good at all,” Angela began, paused, and tried to swallow down the lump of worry in her throat. “Is he alive? Sparrow?”

The look that Fareeha gave her made her blood run cold, even though she knew the truth, knew that he was alive because she had made sure of it herself. And although there was nothing to worry about, she still felt that irrational fear settle in her stomach.

“To be honest with you, I don’t know.” A shrug and Fareeha tipped back in her chair, balancing dangerously on two legs. “Valkyrie flew off with him before their identities could be revealed. But there was a lot of blood. I don’t think he got the bullet out.”

There was yet another pause, lingering heavy in the air as Angela was unable to speak, because she didn’t know what to say and was too scared of speaking and accidentally revealing too much of the truth or blurting out something she shouldn’t. And Fareeha took her silence as a bad sign, sighing softly as she tipped forward on her chair again.

“I don’t think we need to worry though. If he was dead, then we would’ve known,” she reassured Angela. “Besides, Valkyrie was with him. She would’ve made sure to find a replacement.” 

Angela had to bite back the _as if that’s possible_ , and smiled weakly at her friend instead. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sure he’s fine.”

Nodding to herself, Fareeha finally turned to her own assignment and picked up her pen, and Angela suffocated a sigh of relief as her friend began to work. In silence. And she turned back to her own notebook, studying in a quietness only broken by Genji’s more frequent sighs, until she wrote the last sentence and slammed all her books shut.

The sound seemed to startle both Fareeha and Genji, making the librarian look up from her computer with a glare, and Angela realized that perhaps she had slammed the books shut with a little more force than necessary. Fareeha only gave her a curious look, while Genji looked as if he’d been asleep just moments ago, looking around with wide eyes as he tried to locate the source of the sound.

“Sorry, Genji,” she said, giving him a small wave and he blinked almost owlishly at her. “My bad.”

For a moment, he just stared at her. As if she’d grown a second head or as if he recognized her from somewhere, which was just ridiculous and it must’ve been Angela’s imagination, and then he shook his head quickly and the moment was gone. She gave him an apologetic smile and turned back to her things, but she didn’t miss how he smiled back at her. Sleepy and charming in a way only he could be.

And it was _so ridiculous_ how that smile reminded her of Sparrow. The only logical reason why that was, must’ve been because of her decision, because she knew that she wouldn’t see him again if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. And so, wherever she looked, she saw something that reminded her of him. Like Genji’s smile.

It was ridiculous, and somewhat pathetic, and she couldn’t help the warmth spreading on her cheeks as she ducked her head lower and hoped that Genji would look away and miss her blushing.

But just like with a mask, her luck was keen on abandoning her.

“Have you gotten anywhere?”

Snapping up her gaze, Angela met Genji’s dark eyes as he sat down on the free seat at their table. And she _most definitely did not_ miss the grin on Fareeha’s lips as she leaned forward a bit, nudging Angela’s arm as if she was in on a secret.

“I’m done,” Angela answered, kept her voice even and tried to avoid meeting Genji’s gaze again. But at her words, both Genji and Fareeha perked up.

“You’re done?”

“Wait, already?!”

She narrowed her eyes at Fareeha, packing up her things to leave some free space on the table, allowing Genji to spread out his own things. “You would’ve been too if you hadn’t been _procrastinating_.”

A heavy sigh left Genji, but he didn’t sink down like he had before. “Procrastinating, huh?”

“I’ve got nothing better to do.” Fareeha shrugged and completely ignored Angela’s raised eyebrow and meaningful look. “And there’s no rush in finishing this, so why hurry? Besides, I don’t get this one part.”

Angela glanced over at what Fareeha was pointing at, then quickly handed her one of the books. “Chapter 4 and 6 cover that.”

Leaning forward a bit, Genji tried to get a better look, now so close to Angela that she could feel his breath ghosting by her cheek. She went completely still, found it hard to breathe for a second until she reminded herself that it was fine, that Genji was just a friend and that she’d gotten over her crush weeks ago.

He hummed softly and she missed the way he glanced at her, the way his smile widened. Fareeha certainly didn’t, her eyes narrowing until Genji met her gaze and shrunk back just a little, and immediately Angela missed his warmth.

“You know, this is hard stuff,” Fareeha began, and Angela recognized that look in her eyes. “We should study together more often, so you can teach us a thing or two. Make it a little easier on us.”

“Really, Fareeha?” Angela sighed and shook her head, pretending to be hurt. “Using me and my great knowledge like that! How heartless of you!”

Fareeha only grinned back, nudging her again. Of course, Angela knew that wasn’t what her friend was _really_ after, not when she looked over at Genji with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

“Genji, you should join us!”

Startled, Genji blinked at them, then his smile widened and he didn’t look all that miserable anymore. And Angela almost agreed to it only because of that.

“I know of a good café where we can meet,” Genji suggested and Fareeah grinned as if she’d won a great victory.

And as great as a friend Fareeha was, she didn’t quite understand, and Angela couldn’t possibly tell her that things had changed. She didn’t want Fareeha to try and set them up because she didn’t have any interest in Genji anymore, or well, that was part of it. But mostly because it had become a danger, for her and for everyone involved.

And if the media figured out who she was?

She couldn’t do that to her friends. She’d rather go down protecting them all than letting them fall with her. And if anything, letting Fareeha set her up with Genji would only be an unnecessary distraction. She needed to solve the case, and she couldn’t go around _flirting_ while doing so. She couldn’t afford any distractions, not even if it was Genji.

“Sorry,” she said, grabbing her bag and coat, needing desperately to get out, to get away before they could convince her. “But I can’t.”

“Why?” Genji looked at her as she stood up, something hurt in his gaze. “I promise we’re not using you. And the café got really good ice cream, I can treat you to some!”

“That sounds really great, but I can’t.” She gave them both an apologetic smile, pulling on her coat. “I have some things to take care of. Perhaps another time.”

Fareeha looked confused at that, perhaps trying hard to remember if Angela had mentioned something important, but then again, they didn’t share all of their classes and Angela often used the excuse that she had a lot to study for. So, without a word and only a suspicious look on her face, Fareeha let Angela go without protest.

“Again, I’m sorry,” Angela whispered, shifted the weight of the bag on her shoulder, and then turned to leave.

Behind her, Genji sighed deeply.

 

*

 

The sound of the TV filled the room, the reporters talking quickly over each other, only interrupted by short clips of the superheroes, both the present ones and from Overwatch’s days of glory.

Angela wasn’t really listening to it; the reporters didn’t say anything new anyway. They did, however, have some crazy ideas and theories, and at that point she appreciated every wild guess she could get her hands on. Even if some of the theories were absurd, like how Valkyrie and Sparrow were really behind the kidnappings, or how the police were covering up tracks, or how Maximilien had received unknown updates in prison which allowed him to break out.

Still, no matter how absurd it was, Angela wrote it down in her notebook. She had bought it just a day before, on her way home from campus after she had left Genji with Fareeha, and it was already filled with anything of importance that she could think of. Clues, non-clues, things that didn’t make sense, _everything_. She had even considered watching a few detective movies, before she realized that she didn’t have the time, nor the patience, for Sherlock Holmes or the like. Besides, those cases were made up, and she doubted she could figure out how everything was connected by watching some old British dude solve murders on the countryside.

Because that was the thing. Everything was connected in some way, she was so sure of it. The missing children, how they were stolen from their homes as if by something invisible, Maximilien and how he had been broken out of prison. He wasn’t alone in this, Angela was sure of that much, but who could possibly work with a selfish multi-billionaire who didn’t hesitate to dispatch everything, and everyone, that wasn’t of use to him? And why would he want to kidnap _children_?

It didn’t make sense, any of it. It didn’t make sense spoken out loud and it didn’t make any sense when written out in the notebook.

Groaning, Angela rubbed at her tired eyes. If she stared long enough at the words, then perhaps she would notice something. Some kind of connection between the bits and pieces she had collected. But all it did was give her a mild headache by the time the doorbell rang.

The sound made her jump up to her feet, hands reaching for a staff she didn’t have, heart beating a bit too fast in her chest. For a moment, she mentally scolded herself for letting down her guard like that, in her own home, but then reality dawned on her that she wasn’t transformed.

Forcing herself to relax, she absentmindedly rubbed the itch on her wrist as she went to answer the door.

Fareeha greeted her with a smile, cheeks a warm red from the cold wind outside.

“Hey,” Angela greeted, pulling her cardigan tighter around her to block out some of the cold. Then she frowned, head tilted slightly to the side as she looked Fareeha over. “Did something happen?”

“Must something happen for me to visit?” Fareeha grinned back, which would’ve seemed innocently enough if it hadn’t been for that mischievous glint in her eyes. Angela only raised an eyebrow. “Come on, grab your coat.”

“Why?” Angela dragged out the word on her tongue, eyes narrowing. “What are you planning?”

Fareeha shrugged. “Nothing much. You would’ve known about the _details_ if you’d stayed yesterday.”

“Conspiring with Genji, huh? Should I be scared?”

“Perhaps.”

Shaking her head, Angela grabbed her coat with a smile playing on her lips. She thought it best to follow Fareeha even though she should focus on solving the case because so many lives, and hers and Sparrow’s reputation, depended on it. But she also wasn’t stupid, and she knew that a break would only do her good. Clear her mind, perhaps give her a new perspective on things.

She locked the door behind them, fluffing up her knitted scarf a bit to keep out the cold, and then shoved her hands deep in her pockets. The air carried a hint of snow, and if they were lucky, they would get a white winter that year.

“I’m guessing you’re not going to tell me where we’re going,” she murmured when they’d gotten a bit on the way and Fareeha still hadn’t said anything.

“Nope,” Fareeha said, grinning down at her. “But I can promise that it doesn’t involve any studying. I know how stressed you’ve been lately, so we figured you needed to relax a bit.”

Humming, Angela gave Fareeha a critical look, but decided not to press it further. To be fair, she wasn’t really in the mood for surprises, felt as if she would fail if she let go of her focus, of the little sense of control she had left. But she trusted Fareeha, even if she made plans with Genji, and who knew what kind of strange things the two of them could come up with together.

They walked in silence for a while, Angela letting herself be led down the main street of the city, and she took deep breaths of the cold air, shivering to her core after a while, but the coldness helped clear her mind.

The city seemed calm that day, not too many people out shopping and there weren’t many cars in motion either. But it made sense, for people to be scared, when everything was going to hell and when it seemed like even the superheroes were failing. Angela wouldn’t be surprised if the schools closed soon.

“So,” Fareeha spoke after minutes of silence, slowing down slightly as if she was dragging out their arrival. “You and Genji are only friends, huh?”

Frowning, Anglea glanced up at her friend, but couldn’t possibly read her expression. “Yeah, he didn’t seem interested in me. So I gave up.”

“You gave up?” Fareeha repeated, disbelief in her voice and she raised an eyebrow. “Really? Doesn’t sound like you, not after _three whole years_ of having a crush on him.”

“The _date_ you set up for us changed that,” Angela said in her defense. “I realized that you can’t force some things and if he’s happier with someone else, then that’s what’s best. And he’s a good friend.” A pause, a soft sigh. “I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

“Uh-huh.” Fareeha didn’t seem too convinced, only narrowed her eyes as she looked Angela over, as if trying to see through her lie. It was just that Angela wasn’t lying. “Being friends is better than the strangers you were before. I _suppose_. But _damn_ Angela, I had hoped for more!” A pause and Fareeha glared ahead of them. “Didn’t think he was _that_ stupid.”

Humming, Angela bit down on her lower lip to try and hide her smile.

They walked down another street, rounding a corner, and Angela stopped dead in her tracks, looking at the café in front of them and at Genji who stood outside. He hadn’t noticed them yet, eyes on his phone, small smile playing on his lips.

“Speak of the devil,” she muttered and Fareeha grinned at her.

“Oh, what a nice surprise!” Fareeha grabbed Angela’s hand, forcing her to walk up to Genji and hindering her from running. Not that Angela would’ve fled the scene, but the fact that Fareeha made sure that she _couldn’t_ made her somewhat nervous. “Look who it is! Genji!”

Looking up from his phone and pocketing it quickly, Genji smiled brightly at them, gaze lingering on Angela as she returned his smile with some uncertainty.

It was obvious what Fareeha was trying to do. Despite Angela telling her that they were only friends, and despite the date that had went horribly, her friend still tried to match her up with Genji. And by the way Genji shifted somewhat nervously before covering it with his usual confidence, he had probably started to figure it out.

The last thing she needed, other than being forced together with someone who didn’t even like her that way, was for said person to go along with Fareeha’s matchmaking out of _pity_.

“Is this the café you talked about yesterday?” Angela asked, breaking the silence before it turned awkward between them. She leaned a bit to the side, looking over Genji’s shoulder at the small, anonymous building. If it hadn’t been for the sign above the door, she wouldn’t have taken it for a café at all.

“Yeah! They’ve got the best ice cream in the city,” Genji said, seemed to study her reaction closely. “Try it with some of their coffee and you’ll never want to leave.”

Before Angela could answer, Fareeha tugged her and Genji along towards the door. “Sounds perfect to me!”

Angela guessed she didn’t have any choice but to go along with whatever Fareeha was planning. And even though she was irritated at her friend over not giving up on the matchmaking that obviously didn’t work anyway, she supposed she could excuse this as a simple coffee break with _friends_. It didn’t have to become something more unless she wanted to, or unless Fareeha left them both alone for the rest of the afternoon.

A small bell chimed above their heads as they entered, and the café smelled of sweet pastries and coffee beans. Angela took a deep breath, her nerves calming as if by magic.

It was a simple café though, with an even simpler menu, and for a moment she wondered how Genji even knew of it, before she remembered that it had made the news a year or so ago after she and Sparrow had saved the owners from a fire that had started in the kitchen and had threatened to burn down the whole building. And she was somewhat happy now to see that their business was thriving, despite the great costs of rebuilding after the fire.

They ordered at the front and then, carefully carrying the large cups of black coffee, they found a table near one of the large windows. Angela sank down in the worn couch, tugging off her scarf and coat before taking a long sip of the coffee. Eyes fluttering closed and a pleased smile on her lips at the taste and the welcoming warmth. Rich and flavorful, just sweet enough to match the bitterness, a hint of chocolate lingering on her tongue.

With a stuttering heart, her eyes snapped open and she stared down at the dark beverage as if she couldn’t believe what she had just tasted.

This was the coffee Sparrow had bribed her with.

Which meant that Sparrow visited this small café, probably on a regular basis because _who wouldn’t_ when the coffee was this good? And she wondered, as her heart sped up in her chest, if he was there right now, unmasked and sipping his coffee.

“Is it good?”

Blinking, Angela looked up at Genji, wondering briefly if he could read her mind. He sat down just next to her while Fareeha took one of the chairs, grinning at them like a proud mother.

Angela hummed, raising her cup again to try and hide her smile, and the glare she so desperately wanted to give Fareeha. “Best coffee I’ve had in a while.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie, because it was the same coffee Sparrow had gotten her, had the same hint of chocolate and sweetness, even though it was just called _Simple Coffee_ on the menu. But, she couldn’t help but think, there was _something_ missing. Because even though it was the same, it wasn’t as good as when she had drunk it with Sparrow, tasting a bit more bittersweet now.

Still, this was the coffee she still longed for in the early mornings, when it was extra hard to get out of bed, and she tried to force down that sudden pang of regret over her own decision to disappear. She knew it was for the best if they kept low, but it was at the cost of that delicious coffee that only Sparrow could really make magical.

She had to remind herself, as she watched Genji take a sip of his own drink with a pleased hum of his own, that it would be worth it in the long run. The sooner she solved the case, the sooner she could meet Sparrow again, and the sooner she could ask for more of that coffee.

Genji licked his lips, Angela most definitely not missing the small gesture, and nodded to himself. “Yup, just as good as always.” A pause and he glanced over at the bar. “We should get some ice cream as well.”

“It’s winter,” Angela couldn’t help to say, wrinkling her nose ever so slightly. “If we want to be cold, we could just take another walk outside.”

Genji laughed, bright and warm and familiar, and Angela felt her heart clench at the sound. “Don’t worry, it’s my treat. I promised you that yesterday, and I try to keep my promises.”

He looked over at Fareeha at that, who only smiled innocently at him, and Angela blinked at them both, feeling like she had missed something important. And before she could try and reassure Genji that it was fine, truly, he was gone and ordering ice cream for the three of them.

“Isn’t it strange?” Fareeha leaned forward a bit when Genji had his back turned to them, and whispered, “He hasn’t sighed a single time today!”

“I still believe he had just woken up on the wrong side of bed yesterday,” Angela hummed, taking another sip of her coffee. “It happens to all of us.”

Fareeha gave her a meaning look, one eyebrow raised and eyes twinkling. “ _Sure_.”

Frowning at that, because Angela couldn’t really figure out what Fareeha was trying to tell her, she shook her head and leaned back in the couch. Cradling her cup of coffee as if it held all her warmth.

Soon enough, before Angela could ask Fareeha about it, Genji returned with three bowls of ice cream and sat down next to Angela again. This time a little closer, which could easily happen in worn couches, and his knee bumped into hers. She tried not to shy away from the contact.

“So,” Angela began, dragging the word out on her tongue, desperate to fill the silence between them. “I hope you can live up to your promise that this will be the best thing I’ll ever taste.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, grin playing on his lips. “Would you like to bet?”

It was dangerous, Angela knew, to bet with someone whose eyes sparkled of mischievousness, the confidence of someone who had already won. But she also wasn’t the type to back down once pushed into a corner, and so she grinned back with more confidence than she felt.

“Sure, why not?”

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Angela,” Fareeha pointed out as she poured all of her coffee over her ice cream, almost spilling some on the table. “Betting with Genji. You do realize that he and Jesse bet over things all the time, right?” A pause and Genji grinned at her. “And who do you think win most of those bets?”

Raising an eyebrow, Angela mimicked Fareeha and poured some of her coffee in the bowl. Not all, of course, because if it wasn’t that good then she wanted to savor what was left of the coffee, even though it was a bit too bittersweet in the way it reminded her so of Sparrow.

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you do something strange. I reserve those things for Jesse.” Genji winked at Angela, and she quickly had to avert her gaze to fight down her blush. And _shit_ , this was _not according to plan_ , because she had gotten over her crush weeks ago and she had no reason to act shy around him now. But, she told herself, it was only because he reminded her of Sparrow. “How about the loser has to answer honestly to a single question?”

Angela froze. A shiver ran down her spine and she gave a nervous smile as Genji waited expectantly for her answer. She knew it was dangerous, she couldn’t possibly know what Genji would want to ask if he won, if it even was something she _could_ answer truthfully. And before she could answer, Fareeha let out a low whistle.

“That’s a good one!” Fareeha turned to Angela, smiling happily. “Not that she’s good at lying anyway, but still!”

Huffing, and pretending to be offended because Fareeha didn’t know how wrong she was, Angela picked up her spoon. Then she met Genji’s eye, straightening up underneath his warm gaze, and took a taste.

The ice cream melted on her tongue, vanilla mixing with the bittersweet coffee, the lingering taste of chocolate just slightly stronger than before. Her eyes fluttered closed and she leaned back again with a happy sigh, scooping up some more ice cream.

“Told you,” Genji murmured, something soft and warm in his voice and Angela decided that it wasn’t fair.

She glanced over at him, tried with a smile on her lips, “I’ve had better.”

It made both Genji and Fareeha laugh, and she knew that neither bought her poor lie, not that she had hoped for it anyway. Because this, by far, was the best thing she had ever eaten.

She wondered if Sparrow had tasted it as well. Wondered what he would say if he did. Was already planning out a trip there the next time they saw each other, after everything was over, and perhaps it wouldn’t exactly be a romantic date with roses and whatnot that Sparrow had promised her, but it would be something good. A perfect apology, if anything, for everything she was putting him through with her decision.

Quickly, she pushed down the longing and hoped that it hadn’t shown on her face.

“Seems like I won!” Genji said, pouring in his own coffee over his ice cream and picking up his spoon, humming as he thought.

Fareeha, who had almost finished her ice cream at that point, just gave him an odd look. “You made a bet you knew you were going to win, and you didn’t think of a question beforehand? Seriously, I’m a bit disappointed.”

“I’ve got a few questions,” Genji hummed, undisturbed by Fareeha’s teasing. “Just can’t decide which one to ask.”

Angela couldn’t decide if it was scary or endearing that Genji had more than one question to ask her, because it meant that he wanted to know more about her, but it also meant a greater risk. And she started to think back at every hint she might’ve accidentally dropped that she was more than just a regular civilian, like conveniently excusing herself to the bathroom during an attack on the city, or the few times they had bumped into each other after great disasters, like after Maximilien’s latest attack.

And so, when Genji finally decided and turned to her with a smile, she was waiting for those simple words. _Are you Valkyrie?_

“Do you love someone?”

It wasn’t at all what Angela had expected, and for a moment or two she just stared at Genji, blinking as his words sank in. And then her mind jumped to Sparrow’s confident smile and bright eyes, his steady warmth against her, the way he would grip too tight whenever they flew and the way he would so recklessly throw himself in front of her in combat. Asking, with a kind voice so warm she could melt, how her day had been.

It must’ve shown on her face, must’ve been in the soft sigh that left her, and both Genji and Fareeha leaned a bit closer to her. As if they were about to hear a great secret. She took a deep breath, focused on that familiar scar running over Genji’s lips. That would’ve probably been her question, if she had won.

“Yes,” she answered, betrayed by her voice and it came out as nothing more but a whisper. “I do.”

There was a pause in the air. Perhaps they were both waiting for something grand or a big reveal, but this was a secret Angela would make sure to keep her own.

“So,” Fareeha said, first to break the silence, gesturing with her hands as if Angela had more to give. “Who is it?”

Genji seemed just as excited to know, knee pressed against hers, and she had never really taken him for the type to like gossip. Other than when it came to Valkyrie and Sparrow of course, or just superheroes in general. He could speak for hours on that topic, she knew.

But compared to a winged superhero, Angela wasn’t anything special.

“Don’t try it,” she said, pointing her spoon at Fareeha and then at Genji when he looked ready to protest. “You had one question and I answered it truthfully.” She gave Fareeha a pointed look. “And that’s all you’ll get out of me.”

This time, Angela was on the receiving end of Fareeha’s doubtful look and narrowed eyes, most likely trying to figure out who this _mysterious_ _person_ could be since she had already been told that Angela didn’t like Genji _that way_ anymore. But before she could say anything, a first guess on her lips, a deep rumble cut through the ground.

Their bowls clinked together on the table as the ground shook for a moment, but it wasn’t an earthquake. No, Angela had been through a bit too many explosions to tell the difference.

Excuses were on her tongue and she started to rise from the table, already making up a strategy. But then Genji perked up as well, giving her a curious gaze before he joined her and looked out the window, and she quickly bit down on her lower lip to stay silent.

She had almost forgotten.

It had been her own choice, but as they stood close to the window to watch the store across the street get robbed by masked men carrying dynamite, she had to force herself to stand still and stay silent.

She didn’t think it would be this hard to act _normal_ , as a _civilian_. To stand by and do nothing, to be so helpless and completely unable to help.

“Seems like a lot of things are strange today,” Fareeha muttered after a while and picked up her bowl of ice cream, continuing to eat as if nothing was wrong outside. But based on how many times these things happened every week, it was almost normal. No one in the café acted differently either, since the explosion hadn’t been close enough to threaten them, but a few curious glances were thrown out the windows. Some craning their necks to look up at the sky, trying to spot glowing wings or a flash of green.

“What do you mean?” Angela breathed, fingers pressed against the glass as if she could reach out and stop the masked men carrying large bags into the building.

Fareeha gave her a deadpanned look, then shrugged and put down the bowl, reaching for Angela’s since she wasn’t looking. But after that, Angela doubted she’d have any appetite anyway.

“Valkyrie and Sparrow haven’t shown up yet,” she said, humming at the taste of vanilla and coffee. “They didn’t show up this morning either, when there was a fire at the elementary school.” A pause and Angela looked over at her, wide eyes full of fear, because if someone had died because of her, she’d never be able to forgive herself. “No one got hurt though.”

Breathing out a silent sigh of relief, she turned back to the scene outside. Next to her, she felt Genji tremble ever so slightly. Perhaps he was scared of explosions? A lot of people had that fear in the city, after everything it had been through.

“It’s ok,” she whispered, reaching over to place a hand at his shoulder and he stilled at her touch. For a second, she thought she had overstepped, that despite everything, he didn’t want her closeness and she should probably retrieve her hand as quickly as possible. But then he leaned into her touch, trembling ebbing away.

“Where are they?” He whispered back, a strange kind of sorrow in his voice, and she kind of got it, knew that he must miss seeing Valkyrie. She too had hoped, as strange as it would seem, that Sparrow would’ve ignored her decision and shown up anyway.

She was almost disappointed that he didn’t.

“Perhaps they are held up somewhere else,” Angela offers, the lie burning on her tongue, but then the sound of sirens rose up from the distance. And if she had been alone, she would’ve cursed at how long time it took the police to answer. “Hear that? The police will take care of it.”

But before the first police car arrived, a small crowd began to gather. Journalists and reporters pushed their way to the front, dangerously close to the criminals as they continued to plunder the building. Quickly, Angela sat down again, hands in her lap as she clutched the hem of her shirt to keep herself from fleeing. Because all it took was a photograph in the right light, aimed at their window, and a wild guess for it all to be over.

At the sight of a woman in a pristine blue coat followed by a cameraman, Genji sat down as well. He picked up his forgotten bowl of ice cream and began to eat as if his life depended on his. Angela felt his leg shake restlessly against hers.

The first police car rounds the corner, and there was a quick fight with bullets flying in the air before they take off again, chasing after a large white van with masked men still hanging from the open doors. With that, it seemed to become obvious that the superheroes wouldn’t show up, and the crowd began to thin out. Only the journalists and reporters remained, trying to make up a story worthy to print in the papers or show on the evening news.

“It must be hard on them,” Fareeha spoke, and Angela didn’t have to guess as to who she was referring to. “I wonder if they’ve finally gone underground.”

Genji kept his gaze on his now empty bowl, a heavy sigh falling from his lips. And when he spoke, he sounded strangely heartbroken, as if he was trying a bit too much to keep it together.

“It would be for the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been pretty bad at answering your comments, but I appreciate every single one of them and it's what keeps me going! So if you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe it's safe to say that my updating schedule has changed to one update per month. I'll try to get better, but you all know how it is! And I hope that the writing makes up for the wait :)
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

The library was as good as empty on Saturdays, mostly because few wanted to study on a weekend and because most students had been out partying the evening before. Angela had heard from Fareeha that it was a rising trend at the university, to party hard and sleep all weekend and ignore all responsibilities. Because who knew when the next disaster was going to strike? And if you ended up in the middle of it, then you didn’t have to do that large, time-consuming assignment for that one professor you loathed. It was a win-win. At least until Monday came and the week started over.

But as it was, Angela didn’t bump into anyone she knew on campus, and no one was around to give her strange looks as she entered the library. She had her notebook in hand, now full of ideas and theories and everything in-between, and she hopefully looked like an innocent student with nothing better to do than to study on a Saturday.

Nothing suspicious at all.

The warmth of the library was welcoming, and the librarian greeted her with a smile and a mention of “if you need help finding anything, just ask.” Angela smiled back before disappearing between some shelves.

It wasn’t a very large library, not like the public one at the park, and although it mostly only contained literature relevant to the different classes taught at the university, it did had some really strange books as well. Like a book on riddles and one of murder mysteries through the ages, and some on how to crack bizarre codes she had never heard about. She even found one about ancient superheroes, which was just full of speculation and weird theories that made her head spin.

Grabbing them all, and creating a decent pile of research, she started searching for a free table. It wasn’t particularly hard to find one, but it was a greater challenge to navigate around the few sleeping students, one of them sprawled out on the floor and she had to carefully step over him.

She found a table near the window, in a corner of the library where few would walk past, and she put down her pile of books before she took a deep breath. Sitting down, she flipped open her notebook to the most relevant pages, figuring she should start with the most important clues.

Taking a deep breath, she tugged a strand of loose hair behind her ear before rolling up her sleeves. She wouldn’t deny that the pile of books before her seemed a bit intimidating, but she tried to convince herself that it was necessary, that it might help her connect the dots. Still, she was so very close on sinking down in her chair and give up.

That would’ve been the easiest choice.

But, she reminded herself, she was a superhero. Life hadn’t been easy in quite some time and it had no reason to start now.

Flipping open a random book, she started to skim its contents, and when she didn’t find anything of use she put it to the side and picked up another book. Slowly, but surely, she made her way through the pile, and the longer she worked, the more she felt like she was fumbling around in the dark.

When she reached the last book, it was almost lunchtime, and she considered skipping the last book and just go home instead. But at the sight of the last book, she stilled.

Frowning down at it as if it had greatly offended her, she picked it up and turned it over. Sure, she was a bit tired and definitely stressed over the whole case and looming doom, but she had no memory of picking up a book with _maps_. Specifically, maps over their country.

Perhaps, she reasoned even though it felt strange and wrong and she was most likely missing something important, the book had been on the wrong shelf and she had picked it up with another book. Because she had been after _codes_ and _how to connect the dots_ , and maps were the last thing on her mind.

She stared at the book for a second, before curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, flipping through it quickly until she reached a map over the city. There was nothing really unusual about it, covering all of the city and even its outskirts, yet she couldn’t make herself turn the page.

She was missing _something_ , she knew. And if she was to turn the page and ignore this book that had mysteriously turned up in her pile, she had a feeling that she’d never find the answers she needed.

But the longer she stared at the map, the more she started to realize that the book might’ve not been that misplaced after all. Because wasn’t that one of the most classic things in mystery novels? To transfer all the clues, all the dots, to a map?

Standing up so abruptly that the chair almost fell over, she made her way over to the printer at the front desk. The librarian smiled kindly at her, helping her silently take a copy of the map, and Angela was grateful that there were no questions asked. But then again, she supposed people took copies of the strangest things, and that the librarians probably stopped asking those questions a long time ago.

With a copy of the map in hand, because she still had some dignity left in her body even though she was desperate at this point and she wasn’t about to doodle in a book, she sat down at her table again and grabbed a pen. She searched her notebook for the right notes, finding them at the beginning because they had been the first clues.

The missing children.

Both those from ten years ago, and those from present day. And she had done that part of the research a few days ago, writing up the names and ages and the location where they were last seen.

Slowly, she started to mark those locations on the map. One dot here, another there. And perhaps this wouldn’t lead anywhere, because nothing she had done up to this point had given any good results, and she couldn’t help but be careful with the little hope she felt.

Because if this didn’t work, she truly had no more ideas left.

Putting down the last dot, she took a deep breath and looked the map over. Just like before, there was nothing unusual about it, just a handful of dots spread out over a small area, creating a wide curve, but nothing to circle in something specific.

Something was definitely missing.

Flipping through her notes, Angela searched frantically for that one missing clue, knew that she should have it. Because the children had gone missing, yes, and there hadn’t been anything just as strange as that except Maximilien’s prison break and the prison was on the other side of the city than the dots on the map.

Except…

Smiling in triumph, she put one last dot on the map, at the outskirts of the city. It wasn’t an area many ventured to, mostly filled with abandoned buildings and old factories.

But that was where the police had found a single shoe.

And finally, as she connected the dots with a pen of a different color, did she have a circle.

It covered a large area, and it would be impossible to find the right place when half of it was expensive villas and the other half was abandoned buildings where no one had stepped foot in for years, if not longer. And if that didn’t help, then knowing that the area was a bit too large to investigate on her own without transforming, really stole the little hope she had left. She had a lead, sure, but she didn’t know where it took her or how she could follow it.

And if anything, the whole map was depending on that one shoe. So what if it had been placed there? What if it was simply a false clue, to throw them off in their search?

She wanted to believe that she was one step closer to finding the children, but she couldn’t help fearing that she was walking into a trap in the meantime.

Sighing, she sank down in her chair, taking a moment to breathe and sort her thoughts. Then she sat up straight, glared down at the map and the connected dots that felt strangely disconnected, and she was almost angry at herself for thinking that it would be easy.

“Such an idiot,” she muttered under her breath, closing her notebook.

“Who’s an idiot?”

Startled, Angela almost jumped up from the chair and if she hadn’t stopped herself in time, she might’ve actually punched Genji. He stood just by her side, still wearing his thick coat and what looked like an expensive scarf, nose and cheeks slightly red from the cold outside.

And Angela stared for a moment, couldn’t help herself, because since when had he learnt how to be _so quiet_? Or was it just her that had grown soft and had become easy to sneak up on?

“I, uhm,” she began, clearing her throat before swallowing thickly, giving him an innocent smile. “No one?” Another pause, a doubtful look from Genji. “What are you doing here, by the way?”

“I was looking for some peace and quiet to study. Same as you, I suppose.” He raised an eyebrow at her, gaze flickering down to the table and the organized mess of research.

And the map.

“What are you up to?” He sounded almost accusing in his confusion, frowning down at the map, and he tugged off his gloves before he reached for it.

Quickly, Angela tried to grab it, to fold it away before Genji could see all of it and figure things out, but she was just a second too late, and he grabbed a hold on the edge and all but snatched it away from her.

Perhaps she would’ve seen the gesture as rude if she hadn’t been so mortified. Because really, there was no way to explain this, no excuses to make that sounded reasonable enough to fool Genji. Especially when he was looking at her with those dark, warm eyes that threatened to make her insides melt because it reminded her of how Sparrow sometimes looked at her. Or at least, when she was wearing a mask.

Sparrow would probably never look at _her_ that way.

“Trying to solve a mystery, huh?” Genji hummed, looking the map over, head tilting slightly to the side. His eyes narrowing. “Or is this some kind of strange assignment we got while I was asleep?”

“No! No, I’m just,” she began and took a deep breath, trying to buy herself some time to think, to make up any kind of excuse. But she knew so well that it was a bit too late, that no matter what lie she came up with, Genji wouldn’t believe it.

And so, she took a deep breath and told the truth.

Or at least part of it.

“I’m investigating some things.” She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. “But it’s nothing. It didn’t lead to anything.”

There was hesitation in Genji’s eyes, and he looked her over as if he was trying to decide something. Angela tried to not shrink into herself underneath that gaze, until Genji slowly lowered the map and put it back on the table.

And that should’ve been it. That should’ve been the last of it, the proof of wasted time and effort that would’ve never been looked upon again. But as it was, the library on a Saturday after a wild evening before was surprisingly busy.

“Ooh, what’cha got there?” A woman their age stopped by, standing a bit too close to Genji, cheerfully slinging an arm on his shoulder so she could lean on him. And to Angela’s surprise, even though it shouldn’t be that surprising because of all the rumors surrounding him that she knew so well, Genji let her.

“It’s nothing, Olivia,” Genji answered her with a smile, repeating Angela’s words before he met her gaze. “Just an investigation that didn’t lead anywhere.”

Olivia gave him a doubtful look at that, and she probably didn’t buy it at all. Then she looked over at Angela again, and her smile widened as she nudged Genji’s side.

“You never told me you got a new girlfriend!” A pause, and she quickly spoke again before either of them could protest. “Angela, right? Studying medicine and whatnot? I’ve heard lots about you!”

Angela had never seen Olivia before, didn’t think they’d had a class together either, and so she had no clue _why_ or _how_ Olivia knew of her. And she didn’t quite know what to make of her smile, the way she leaned on Genji and the way he let her. Perhaps she was an old girlfriend, or perhaps a childhood friend.

Shifting a bit, Angela gave her a polite smile. “We, ah, we’re not together.”

“Really now?” Olivia sounded completely unimpressed, as if she had just been told that pigs could fly. “And that is why you’re looking at the Love Nest, is it?”

Angela met Genji’s gaze, something unsaid between them, and she quickly looked away again. She cleared her throat, tried to find her voice to speak. “The Love Nest?”

“Oh, don’t play stupid! It’s that abandoned building they say is haunted,” she said, leaning forward to tap one of the squares on the map. Within the circle. A mischievous grin spread on her lips as she looked between them. “People go there to be alone. To keep things secret.” A pause and she pulled away from Genji, raising her hands in a mock surrender. “But don’t worry, I can keep a secret or two.”

Feeling her cheeks heat at that, Angela quickly looked away and focused on the map. She missed the way Genji’s cheeks seemed to warm as well, and he tried to hide it by fluffing up his scarf a bit more. And so, they both missed the pleased smile on Olivia’s lips as she walked away.

Silence settled between them as they looked at the little square on the map. Genji had no idea what she had been investigating, probably didn’t know that this was what Angela had been looking for all along.

The last clue.

Because what could be more perfect than an abandoned building with rumors of ghosts to keep people away and yet explain any strangeness that might happen there? It had the perfect location, the perfect excuse, and-

“It’s owned by Maximilien.”

Genji blinked down at her, and it took a moment before she realized that she had spoken out loud. In her excitement that this couldn’t possibly be a coincidence, she had completely forgotten about his presence. Or simply mistaken him for someone else.

“Sorry, forget it!” Angela said, folding the map and stuffing it away in her bag along with her notebook, before getting her coat. Then she paused, narrowed her eyes at Genji and daring him to argue. “Forget you ever heard or saw any of this.”

But things rarely worked out the way Angela wanted them to, especially not lately, and Genji _dared_. “Are you going to that building, then?” A pause, worry flashing by in his eyes. “Alone?”

She shifted a bit where she stood, refusing to meet his gaze. Because of course she was going to that building, _alone_ , and there was no other way to do this. “Uhm… no?”

Genji crossed his arms over his chest, one eyebrow raised, not buying her lie at all.

“No, really!” Angela grabbed her bag, still refusing to look at him. A moment of hesitation. “Don’t be silly! Fareeha would kill me if I did something reckless like that!”

“That’s why I’m coming with you.”

Angela blinked, took a deep breath, because this was _not according to plan_. She couldn’t bring Genji, a civilian without means to protect himself if things got nasty, to a dangerous place that was the potential secret lair of a supervillain.

“No. You’re not.”

She wouldn’t allow Genji to get harmed, not for as long as she could stop it. And this was her way of stopping it before he did something stupid and reckless. She didn’t need him to act like Sparrow, and unlike Sparrow, he couldn’t heal as fast if something happened.

She would never forgive herself.

“Listen, I’m not going there,” she tried, holding up her hands in front of her. She didn’t want to argue about this, felt like she shouldn’t need to. “So you don’t have to follow or anything to make sure I’m alright. I’m just going to go home, get some coffee and watch a horror movie or two. Alright?”

He blinked at her, something flashing by in his eyes as if she had said something strange, and then that moment was gone and he shrugged. “Alright.”

“Good.” She straightened up, shifted the weight of her bag on her shoulder. Relief washing over her and she gave him a smile.

“But I’m still going.”

Angela really felt like Genji needed some sense punched into him. If it had been Sparrow before her, stubborn and charming and everything she missed, she might’ve punched his arm for arguing against her in such a matter. But it wasn’t Sparrow, it was Genji, and so she only stared at him like she couldn’t believe what he was saying.

“I want to check out those rumors. They sound interesting,” Genji continued, completely ignoring the look he received from her. “Perhaps I’ll see a ghost or two!”

More than anything, Angela wanted to ask Genji if he had lost his mind. Because there was no other explanation to this. There was no reason, no sane or insane, why _anyone_ would willingly want to go to an abandoned building, rumored to be haunted, in a city where those kinds of rumors could kill you in an instant. For all they knew, those weren’t rumors at all! For all they knew, it might be a nest of deadly mist or a gigantic beehive, or _the secret lair of a supervillain_ who wouldn’t hesitate to kill them.

“No,” Angela spoke again, really slow this time. So that he might really understand. “You are not going there alone.”

“Neither are you,” Genji shot back, stubborn and irritating, and Angela curled her hands into fists and hoped that her will to remain sane would be stronger than her will to punch some sense into him. “It’s dangerous, most likely. But I’ll be fine.”

She stared at him, saw no one but Sparrow in front of her, and she couldn’t deny Sparrow from doing stupid things that might get them both killed, because that was what they did the best. And if Genji wasn’t allowing her to go alone, and if he was going there either way, then she really had no choice. If he wasn’t going to listen to her, there was only one way for her to protect him.

With a deep sigh, she slowly shook her head, shoulders slumping in defeat “We’re both going then.” A pause and she met his gaze, giving him to option to argue. “Together.”

He was silent for a couple of seconds, seemed to weight his options, and he must’ve come to the same conclusion as Angela. They were both going to go there anyway, and so they could just as well share the company.

“Sounds good,” he eventually said, giving her that charming smile of his that could make her agree to anything. Or well, _almost_ anything. “I’ll treat you to lunch on the way!”

“Sure,” she sighed, her stomach growling silently at the mention of food.

As they walked out of the library together, Angela’s bag felt heavier than ever. As if she was carrying the solution to all of their problems, and the sure sign of their own doom.

 

*

 

True to his word, Genji treated her to lunch, although a simple one which they took on the go and ate in silence as they waited for the bus to take them out to the abandoned area. It wasn’t exactly a common stop, and they would have to walk the last bit. Which gave Angela a lot of time to brood over her problem.

Because even though she felt safe around Genji, for the same reason she felt safe with Fareeha, because they were _friends_ , she couldn’t help but feel anxious as well. This was a dangerous mission, no doubt about it, and Genji probably had no idea why Angela even wanted to go there. And Angela wasn’t sure why Genji would want to go there either, so they were probably even on that point.

However, Angela was a superhero. Genji wasn’t. If there was any immediate danger, things could go really bad and she would never forgive herself if anything happened to him.

And really, what kind of superhero was she to drag a civilian into such a dangerous thing? If anything, she should just transform and force Genji to stay back, even though that was impossible because not only would she draw the attention of the media, but also that of Maximilien and that was _definitely_ the last thing she needed now. For Maximilien to erase every trace and every clue that Angela had picked up on.

As they sat on the bus, silent and perhaps a bit too close with thighs pressed together, Angela couldn’t help but wonder what Sparrow would think of her if he had known. Would he think her unnecessarily reckless? Perhaps he’d think that she didn’t deserve to be a superhero at all, for actively putting a civilian’s life in danger. Or perhaps he’d be completely on board with it, might even tease her for it a bit, grinning at her with that confident look in his eyes that they’d definitely get into trouble so they might just as well go all-in.

Sighing, Angela absentmindedly brushed her fingers over her bracelet, trying to ignore the way Genji glanced over at her every so often. As if he was trying to figure out the best way to get rid of her.

_Well_ , Angela almost huffed to herself, _good luck with that_.

Neither of them said a word as they stepped off the bus, the cold air welcoming in her lungs after the cramped space, and she took a few deep breaths to try and calm her nerves. Fingers brushed by her elbow and she looked up to meet Genji’s gaze, a silent question in his dark eyes. Making sure that she wouldn’t back out, or rather, hoping that she would.

She raised an eyebrow at him, making a point not to speak and hoped that he would break first. Grabbing the map from her bag, she began walking.

The closest stop to their destination was one at the edge of the area where people still lived, where the ground hadn’t been bought yet by a multibillionaire with tendencies of homicide, and it was like the edge of another world. On one side, there were small colorful houses with neat gardens and tall hedges, and on the other side were tall buildings on the verge of falling apart, grey wood and dulling red brick, looking as if all life had been sucked out of them. Which was probably true, if you didn’t count the rats and other critters that had probably made the ruins their home.

Angela tried not to think of it.

But as they walked through the ruins and abandoned buildings, it felt like they were walking through a ghost town. Yet she bit down on her lower lip and kept walking, kept as close to Genji as was socially acceptable. He didn’t seem to have any problems with it, her closeness and the ghosts following them alike, and even if he did, he didn’t say a word.

At least, until they reached the Love Nest.

If Angela hadn’t had it marked on the map, she would’ve probably overlooked it. There wasn’t anything that made it stand out from the other buildings, other than some more recent graffiti, and it definitely didn’t look like the most romantic of places.

“This is it, huh?” Genji said, first to break the silence, a strange tone in his voice. He shifted a bit, glanced over at her, and if she hadn’t known any better she’d claim that he was nervous. “You sure you wanna do this? You can wait outside if you want.”

“As if,” she huffed back, shoving the map back in her bag. “We’ve come all this way; we can just as well look around for a bit.”

Genji looked ready to protest, but he must’ve realized that he didn’t have any good arguments, because he slowly shook his head. A smile playing on his lips.

Taking a deep breath, fingers rubbing her bracelet for some kind of good luck, or a silent prayer that it wouldn’t fail her if she tried to transform, Angela walked through the large metal doors leading into the building. They were hanging on their hinges, ready to fall, and they made a loud creaking noise that made her wince.

The inside was dark, as if the sunlight couldn’t quite bother to get through the dirty windows. Rubble laid scattered about, chunks of the ceiling and crumbled walls, shattered glass amongst dark spots on the concrete. And there were years of dust in the air, and Angela coughed before she pulled her scarf up her mouth and nose, noticing that Genji mirrored her action, a deep frown on his face as if this hadn’t been what he expected.

But this was an abandoned building, had been this way since at least ten years back when Maximilien had bought it and let it fall into ruin, and other than the empty cans of soda and plastic wrappings here and there, there were no signs that any humans had been there recently. But then again, what supervillain left trash scattered about their secret lair? That’d just be stupid, and Maximilien was anything but.

“So,” Genji began and lifted his phone, lighting up the way for them. “What are we looking for?”

Angela glanced over at him, one eyebrow raised. “I thought you were looking for ghosts?” A pause, and she gave him a teasing smile even though he couldn’t see if because of her scarf. “But if you want to look for something else, then I suppose anything hidden could be useful. Like hidden doors or surveillance cameras, or anything that indicates that people have been here.”

“Why would Maximilien, that’s who own this right? Why would he put up cameras in an abandoned building? And why would he have secret doors here?” Genji narrowed his eyes at her, and for a moment she got the feeling that he had figured it all out, what she was trying to do. Then he tilted his head slightly to the side, an unreadable look in his eyes. “Are you into those conspiracy theories?”

Blinking, Angela stared at him for a moment, had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from laughing. “Conspiracy theories?”

“Yeah, you know, like how the moon landing was fake or how Maximilien was behind those kidnappings ten years ago.” Genji shrugged, taking a step forward over the shattered glass, looking around them as if he was afraid someone was listening in on them.

“Huh,” Angela breathed. “That last one is new. I haven’t heard them talk about that on TV.”

Genji shifted a bit, walking past her with a bit of a hurry in his steps, shining the light on some random graffiti on the wall. When he spoke next, he didn’t look at her, and he seemed to choose his words carefully.

“Do you believe it? That Maximilien is behind the kidnappings, both present and old?”

There was a pause, and Angela didn’t know what to say. If she answered that yes, she believed that, then she might give away too much, might accidentally drag Genji further into something that was out of his league. Or he might simply believe that she was an idiot who believed in idiot theories. But if she answered that she didn’t believe it, then she would be lying, and somehow she had a feeling that Genji would know.

And so she said nothing, only shifted the weight of her bag on her shoulder.

“Well,” Genji spoke after almost a minute of silence, turning around to her with a smile in his eyes. “Personally, I like conspiracy theories. Some have good arguments.”

“Good arguments? Really?” Angela spoke, voice wavering just a tiny bit, and she tried to hide the truth behind teasing. Wondered just how much she could say without giving anything away. Wondered how much Genji would understand. “Like how some celebrities are replaced with doppelgängers after the original died? And how it was a superhero who broke Maximilien out of prison and kidnapped those kids without a trace, because no regular human can have such powers?”

“But,” Genji began, frowning as he thought. “There are only two superheroes alive in this city.”

Angela smiled wider, slowly walking up to Genji and stepping over rubble in the way. He kept her gaze until she reached him, seemed to have kept his breath as well, the way he sighed when she stopped in front of him. 

“Only two superheroes.” She leaned forward as she spoke, her words filling the space between them, a secret whispered only for Genji to hear. “That we know of.”

There was a sharp intake of breath, and Angela realized that they were close, _so very close_ , and if either of them leaned forward just a few more centimeters their noses would brush. Warmth spread on her cheeks, invisible for Genji’s eyes in the cloudy darkness.

Grinning, Angela straightened up again. “How’s _that_ for a conspiracy theory?”

Genji laughed, a breathless sound that sounded too loud in the wide space around them, and there was a twitch in his fingers as he began to raise his hand and let it fall just as quickly again. “Good one. But you’ll need more than that.”

Humming, Angela took a step back, looking around them as Genji lit up the way. “We have the facts.”

“Like what?”

“Like how Overwatch had a lot of superheroes and I could spend a whole afternoon counting them all.” Angela smiled, stepping around a metal beam sticking up from the floor. Genji followed closely behind. “And we know that the superhero title is passed down.”

A pause behind her. “But we only have two.”

“Exactly!” Angela snapped her fingers, a sound that echoed between the tall walls, quickly glancing back to meet Genji’s gaze. “First there were Frostbite and Arctic, and then they passed it over to Valkyrie and Sparrow. But what about the others? What about all those superheroes that disappeared?”

A pause between them and Angela’s smile widened, no longer knowing if she was just messing around with Genji or actually tugging at the strings of what could be truth.

“Did they keep their titles?” She murmured. 

And Genji whispered back. “Or did they pass it down in secret?”

Angela glanced back again, and they shared a look in silence. She didn’t know what to think, if their crazy theory actually was true, or if they were just messing around with something they didn’t understand. Like seeing a pattern where there was none.

But she knew that her powers had been passed down to her through the bracelet. Knew that the same must’ve happened to Sparrow, and every superhero before them. And after Overwatch fell, those relics must’ve lived on in some way, indestructible and _magical_ as they were.

So where were they?

She rounded a crumbled wall, humming softly to herself as she thought. It didn’t sound that impossible, the more she thought about it, and she’d had that fleeing thought once before. That only someone with a superhero’s powers could vanish completely and take a child with them, faster than one could blink.

And if it truly was like she feared, that these people were working with Maximillien, then things were looking a lot grimmer than she had expected.

“You seeing anything of interest?” She called back to Genji, who was shuffling around on the other side of the large room. Not that she expected him to actually find anything in an open space with a few crumbled walls that didn’t seem to be able to hide anything.

“No, not even a ghost!” came Genji’s reply, followed by a _thunk_ and a curse, the light going out.

Shaking her head slowly, Angela kicked away some empty cans before turning around towards him. “Walked into something?”

Another curse filled the space, and Angela had to start her phone just to find him in the darkness. On the other side of the room, Genji was holding his left foot in pain.

“Are you hurt?” Angela tilted her phone a bit to light the way, walking around rubble and dangerous metal pipes and beams, she couldn’t even guess the building’s purpose before it was abandoned.

“I’m fine.” A pause, and Genji groaned before he sat down on a large concrete box. “But _shit_ , don’t kick the boxes. They don’t budge.”

“You know, it’s not really the best idea to kick concrete,” Angela hummed once she reached him, lightly tapping her foot against the box he sat on. “I really hope you didn’t break your toes from that.”

Genji grumbled out something incoherent, frowning down on his foot as if he was considering her words. And Angela couldn’t help but stare. Not at Genji, that’d be rude, but at the box he was sitting on. It didn’t look out of place, not really. Made of smooth concrete and with some fresh graffiti, the cans scattered close-by, it looked like it had been risen from the floor. Like a part of the construction of the building. It didn’t serve any obvious purpose, other than an aesthetic purpose once upon a time, she supposed. If anyone liked a couple of concrete boxes in two neat rows leading up to the northern wall, placed with half a meters space between.

Her best guess was that it had been a catwalk once, with the perfect space to walk between the two rows. Or perhaps there had been a stairs there, a long time ago, leading up to a second floor the building no longer had.

“Come on,” Angela mumbled, fingers brushing by Genji’s arm before she thought twice. “If your toes aren’t broken, then you can walk.”

He looked up at her with pleading eyes, then sighed and got up, angling his phone to light up the area around them.

And on the other side of the room, something moved.

Stilling by Genji’s side, Angela clutched her phone closer, her bracelet tingling and waiting to transform her if she so commanded. She couldn’t do that in front of Genji though, and she most likely didn’t have to, based on the way Genji was pushing her behind him and pocketing his phone. Slowly with no sudden movements, he reached down and picked up a short metal pipe.

With breathing too loud, seeming to echo between them, they slowly approached the other side of the room. There were no more movement, no sound, and for a moment Angela tried to convince herself that it might’ve just been some fabric moving in the wind or something similar.

Then a can slowly came rolling towards them, stopping as it rolled into Genji’s foot.

Angela glanced up at him, and he met her gaze. Her heart was beating just a tad too fast, fingers reaching out to hold his arm. If there was any immediate danger, she’d push him away and transform within a heartbeat.

They took another hesitant step forward, searching the long shadows of the rubble and beams, looking for that movement again, when a sound caught their attention.

Like nails scraping against metal. Clicking and ticking.

Leaning up on her toes to get closer to Genji, Angela breathed out a few words. “Behind that wall.”

Genji nodded, gripping the pipe as if he was comfortable handling a weapon like that, and there was a watchfulness in his eyes that she had never seen before, a seriousness in his shoulders and the way he looked ready to strike at any moment. As if he had taken on the role of someone else, someone Angela wasn’t so sure she knew.

His silent confidence should’ve eased her nerves more than it did. Instead, she got all the more worried. After all, a metal pipe wouldn’t do much damage to a man made of metal, no matter how confident you were.

She pressed close to him as he moved, silent steps amongst broken glass, and once again she wondered when he had learned how to sneak like that. He certainly didn’t sneak late into class that silently.

With breath stuck in her throat, they rounded the corner, metal pipe raised high and ready to strike and-

The fat rat gave a loud squeak, kicking away the can that rolled over the ground, disappearing down a large crack in the ground.

“Huh,” Angela breathed, hand on her chest and willing her heart to calm down. She had been so close to pushing Genji away, to let the warmth of her transformation wash over her, all over a _rat_. “That’s disgusting.”

Laughter filled the air, breathlessly at first, and then Genji turned to her with relief in his eyes and she couldn’t help but smile at him. The metal pipe clinked against the floor as Genji dropped it, hands reaching out for Angela, and this time he didn’t hesitate before he gently cupped her face.

Feeling her cheeks heat, she found it impossible to push away or even avert her gaze.

There was a moment of silence between them, Genji keeping her gaze, leaning forward ever so slowly as if he wasn’t sure he was allowed to. He was staring into her eyes like he was searching for someone else, for some kind of injury or any sign of tears.

For a moment, she thought he was about to kiss her.

“I-“ he began, interrupting himself as he cleared his throat. A heartbeat between them, and he seemed to realize that he was still cupping her face, quickly withdrawing again. “Sorry. I just. Uh, I mean, _rats_. Rats.”

“Guess that’s your ghost then,” Angela offered lightheartedly, watching the smile in his eyes.

And she couldn’t help but feel relieved that it had been just a rat and not something else, something much larger and much more dangerous. But at the same time she was disappointed, couldn’t help it, that it hadn’t had been Maximilien, that it hadn’t been the end of her search and end of the case.

“We should leave,” Genji said, looking around them as if another rat could jump out at them at any moment. “Before it gets dark.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Angela agreed, and together they stepped around the mess on the ground, heading to the entrance. And she wrinkled her nose as she saw more movement in the corner of her eye. “I don’t understand why it’s called the Love Nest. Who would want to make out when rats are watching?”

Genji’s brilliant laughter filled the space and seemed to chase the darkness away. And even though they left empty-handed, both disappointed and relieved, Angela didn’t feel like it was a complete waste of time.

With a smile spreading on her lips and with warmth on her cheeks to ward off the cold, they headed to the bus stop in the hopes of catching the next bus home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been pretty bad at answering your comments, but I appreciate every single one of them and it's what keeps me going! So if you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'm not dead, I'm just really stressed and really busy! 
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Angela didn’t see Genji again until Monday, when snow had begun to fall outside and the reporters on TV got a new subject to talk about in between the superhero stuff.

To Angela, it was a welcomed change, especially since she had spent the rest of the weekend trying to think of anything but the next step, of what to do now when there was nothing left _to do_. And trying her hardest not to think of Genji and Sparrow, her feelings just as conflicted as a mess of tangled yarn, and she couldn’t even find one of the ends to try and untangle it. In a sense, the impossible case seemed more possible to figure out than her feelings.

Because she liked Genji. She liked him and Sparrow, and she was pretty sure that there was something between them, but she couldn’t make any sense of it.

There was _something_ in the way Genji held her too close, stared a little too long, and yet he hadn’t been interested when they had gone out on their date.

And there was definitely _something_ in the way Sparrow would flirt so easily with Valkyrie, fingers reaching for her, the lingering question in his eyes, yet she still wasn’t convinced that it wasn’t all for show.

Huffing, Angela shook her head, fingers dragging through her hair and her pen getting stuck in the tangled mess before she tugged it away with a wince. She put down the pen after that, already finished with her exam anyway, and leaned back in her seat to stare at the clock on the wall.

She had studied too much for the exam, she knew, and although it had seemed like a good idea while she was studying since it kept her mind off of things, it had come back to bite her now. She could’ve done the exam in her sleep, had finished it in record time, and now she was left alone with her thoughts until the two-hour mark had passed and she could turn it in and leave.

Groaning, she buried her face in her hands.

In a way, she should consider herself lucky that it was Monday. Despite the exam and all. Because on Mondays, with their new schedules, Angela wouldn’t share a class with the others until after lunch. Which meant that she didn’t have to see Genji yet. Which should also mean that she had a bit more time to try and figure out how to act around him and what to do with herself.

She should’ve been over her stupid crush. And a small, fearful voice within her whispered that perhaps she was reading too much into it. That Genji was only acting like a friend would and that he didn’t really like her that way, that she was getting her hopes up for nothing. And really, how pathetic could she get, falling for the same guy all over again only because he seemed somewhat interested in her?

But it could’ve been worse.

At least Fareeha didn’t know, and Angela would make sure to keep it that way.

Picking up her pen again, she began to doodle on the blank space on the last page. She still had fifteen minutes left until she could turn it in and leave for lunch, but she knew that she would just overthink things if she didn’t do something to distract herself.

And so, for fifteen whole minutes, she doodled mindlessly anything that came to mind. By the time those fifteen minutes were up and she gathered her stuff and got up as silently as possible, passing rows after rows of students struggling with different exams, there was a detailed dragon curling around a previously blank space. Or well, at least it _resembled_ a dragon. Angela wasn’t exactly an artist.

The guard for the exam, an elderly woman who volunteered for these things, put down her crossword to give her a bright smile. She checked Angela’s name and class, then put the exam in a folder, wishing her a good day.

Walking out of the room felt like passing into a different world. It always felt like that, leaving the silence of pens scratching against paper behind, and stepping into the hallway that was buzzing of students heading to and from classes. She let herself be one with the steady flow, walking in her own pace towards the cafeteria. It was still early, and if she was lucky she could snatch one of the grilled sandwiches before they were out.

The cafeteria wasn’t empty when she arrived, it rarely was after all and it would’ve been quite a bad sign if there was not a soul inside, and so she had no trouble buying the grilled sandwich _and_ finding herself an unoccupied table by the windows.

She settled in, kept her gaze on the campus outside, on the many students and few teachers who were hurrying to lectures and classes. Snow twirled in the air, impatient to cover the world in white, yet it wasn’t cold enough to let it.

Give it a week, Angela thought, biting into her sandwich and humming at the strings of cheese that followed when she pulled back. Give it a week, and then the city will be covered in snow.

She just wondered if she would be left to see it.

Groaning down at her food, her appetite suddenly gone, she sank down deeper in her seat. There was a reason why she had tried to keep her mind occupied, and Genji and Sparrow weren’t the only reason. She tried not to think of it, tried to keep her mind on other things, but it was always there in the back of her mind. Because she was all out of options now, weren’t she? Nothing had come from the abandoned building she had explored with Genji, there were no new clues and no old ones she hadn’t already followed.

There was nothing left to do. So what could she possibly do now?

She considered for a moment, only for a moment as she picked up her sandwich again, to return to the abandoned building. Alone, this time. Perhaps Genji’s presence had blinded her to obvious clues, had hindered her from exploring fully.

It was a horrible thought really, a horrible thing to _admit_. That she had reached the stage where her feelings got in the way for her job. She couldn’t allow it, wouldn’t have allowed it at all from the start if things were _normal_ , if she hadn’t been forced to work alone and left with this longing in her chest that was a constant ache.

She had grown weak.

And she couldn’t allow that.

Finishing her food, Angela quickly wiped off her hands on a napkin, and as she grabbed her stuff she caught a movement just outside the window. Genji was walking across the campus, hair a mess and yawning wide, and he didn’t spot her until _something_ made him turn his head and look her way. He paused, lips parting in a grin, and it seemed like all his sleepiness had gone with that simple look.

Angela considered hiding behind something and pretending she hadn’t seen him.

But the moment dragged on, and Angela didn’t avert her gaze, and so Genji started gesturing towards the front doors. Sighing, Angela gave him a nod before getting up from the table, throwing away the trash on the way to meet up with him.

She hoped, with all her heart, that the world and its responsibilities would just leave her alone for a single day. And she hoped that it wasn’t too much to ask for.

 

*

 

Genji was chatty.

Suspiciously so, as he began talking about his weekend and avoiding their little trip _exceptionally_ well, and explaining some kind of recipe for an apple pie that he found _in detail_. He was gesturing a bit, all charming smile and warm eyes, as he tried to describe the size of the pie.

Angela was only half listening to it, chin resting in her hand as she tried to actually do the group work they had been assigned for class, but both Jesse and Fareeha nodded along to his story. Leaving _her_ to do the work. And if she wasn’t so keen on trying to distract herself from Genji, then she might’ve actually listened a bit more closely to what he said. But as it was, she was afraid that if she did listen, if she returned his smile and looked him in the eye, then she would be even more confused by her feelings than what she was before.

And she was confused, conflicted, _totally screwed_ as it was. 

“-and there’s no way I can finish it all on my own!” Genji finished, and Angela glanced up only to catch him looking at her. A hope in his eyes, as if he was expecting her to give some kind of answer.

She blinked, glanced over at Fareeha for help, but both Fareeha and Jesse were looking at her expectantly.

“Uh,” she began, not quite sure what she was supposed to say. And Genji didn’t make it easier for her either, the way he smiled at her and melted her insides and stole her voice. She swallowed, glancing back at her notebook, feeling her cheeks heat. “Share it with someone?”

“Great idea!” Fareeha grinned, slinging an arm around Angela’s shoulders. “We should all get together at Genji’s! I can bring some movies!”

Genji perked up at that, looking more enthusiastic than anything, but Angela only felt dread in her stomach. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid, and she had told Fareeha to stop trying to set them up. She had no idea why her friend kept trying, and she had no idea why Genji seemed to go along with it either!

Before she could turn down the invitation, not that she thought Fareeha would actually let her, Jesse cleared his throat.

“Sorry, you’ll have to count me out. My ma wants me to come home for a bit,” he said, sounding hurt more than anything. “Suspect she’s tryin’ to get me to move home altogether.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Fareeha whispered, slumping against Angela’s side with a heavy sigh. “I tried to get mom away as well. Thought it would be easy with how often she’s away. But she’s refusing to leave, even though-“

She cut herself off, teeth sinking down in her lower lip as she glared at the table. Genji lowered his gaze as well, and if Angela didn’t know any better she’d guessed that he looked guilty. Just as guilty as she felt, and that was not something she wanted to think about.

“You’re right though,” Angela said, breaking the silence. “We should get together and watch a movie.” She glanced up, met Genji’s gaze briefly before she looked away again. “And I really like apple pie.”

The smile Genji gave her was blinding to say the least, and he shifted a bit closer to her as they returned to their group assignment. Angela stilled at his closeness, and she tried not to be too obvious or make him think the wrong thing, but she really had a hard time breathing when Genji placed a gentle hand on her back as he leaned in to look at her notes. For a moment, she couldn’t hear what he was saying, and she avoided his gaze like the plague.

Around them, the other students of their class were working on their own assignments, with various results. The group just a table away seemed to be close to a breakdown, huddled close together while one member laid sprawled out on the floor. At another table, the group had gone back to their phones, discussing something on the news.

A soft sigh left Angela and Fareeha gave her a nudge. “Hey, everything alright?”

Blinking, she turned to her friend, forcing on a smile which only earned her a worried look. “Yeah, everything is-“

A soft rumble shook the ground.

Pausing, Angela frowned. Her heartbeat quickened, her bracelet warm and waiting for her command. But a rumble could mean anything from a truck driving by outside to a simple trick of her imagination.

Another rumble, not as soft this time, and Angela placed a hand on the table, feeling the vibrations. Jesse, who had been leaning on it, straightened up a bit, finding her gaze.

“You felt that?”

Fareeha raised an eyebrow at them, and even Genji shifted a bit nervously, giving Angela a worried look and pressed closer to her as if he could protect her from any possible danger.

Yet another rumble, this time a bit heavier, a bit closer. A student who had been balancing on his chair a table away fell to the floor with a squeak.

The rumbles continued, one after another, and for each rumble there was a pause, only to sound just a bit closer than the previous one.

“Earthquake?” Fareeha asked, grabbing her things and eyeing the table, seeming to be ready to dive if needed. There was a hint of fear in her voice, even though it wasn’t visible in her serious expression.

“Could be,” Genji offered, perhaps in a way to try and calm all of their nerves. He reached over to grab his own coat and bag.

But Angela frowned, eyes falling closed for a second as she listened. She had been a superhero long enough, had lived through natural disasters long before she found the bracelet, and so she knew that it couldn’t possibly be a simple earthquake.

And with dread settling in her stomach in pace with the rumbling, she realized that it was the unmistakable sound of footsteps.

Footsteps heading their way.

Eyes snapping open, Angela rose from the table, bracing herself against it to keep her balance as the rumbles cut through the ground. Any fear she could’ve felt was gone as she spoke, voice loud enough to carry through the room. “Everyone! Get-“

Her voice was cut off as something dark blocked out the windows, sending the room into a complete darkness. She could hear the worried voices of her classmates, of her friends as Genji grabbed her hand, warm and secure. Could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

And then the room fell apart around them.

The roof was ripped away, like opening a candy wrapper, with rubble and stuffing falling down, glass shattering to their side. There were screams around them, Angela could hear it, could hear Fareeha screaming at her that they needed to run, to get away.

All Angela could do was stare up at the giant leaning forward in the opening of the ceiling, eyes wide and _human_ , with features so twisted it couldn’t possibly be.

Looking directly at her.

“Angela!”

Blinking, she looked over at Genji, saw the fear shine in his dark eyes, and it brought her back to reality. Nodding, she turned to Jesse and Fareeha, grabbing their hands, their clothes, anything she could get a hold of, and pushing towards the doors.

“We need to get out!” She shouted, voice drowning with everyone’s panic, and if Genji wasn’t still holding her hand she might’ve gotten lost. That was why, when a student ran into Genji and knocked him to the ground, Angela was there for him.

The monster outside leaned up a bit, swollen hand reaching down for them.

Without thinking, adrenaline pumping in her blood, Angela let her hand slip from Genji’s as she reached for a large piece of ruined metal by their side. With her heart beating in her throat, she blocked Genji from the monster, holding the metal stick like a weapon in front of her.

The monster didn’t seem to react, claw-like fingers curling to grab a hold on them, and behind her Genji screamed out a warning. Panic so clear in his voice, fear not for his own life but for hesrs, but he wasn’t quick enough. He was only human, after all. And so Angela lunged out, putting all of her force behind her strike, stabbing the monster’s hand and watching as the metal sank through skin and muscle. Felt how it cut through her own hand, blood running down her arm.

With a deafening roar, enough to shake the very ground, the monster reeled back, taking a stumbling step backwards.

“You alright?” Angela asked, turning just slightly to look at Genji, at his wide eyes and parted lips, at the way he looked at her as if she was someone else. She reached down for his hand, tugging him up. “We need to leave. That monster seems to be after us.”

“But,” he began, softly taking her hurt hand in his. And even though the world was chaos around them, it seemed to slow down for just that moment. “Your hand. You’re hurt-“

“It’ll be fine!” Angela cut off, tugging at Genji to get him to _move_.

He looked like he wanted to say something, words a mess on his lips until he gave up and only nodded instead, gripping her unhurt hand harder and dragging her out of the classroom. The corridor outside was a mess, students running for their lives, and Angela caught a glimpse of Jesse and Fareeha far ahead.

Good.

She would never forgive herself if her friends were hurt because of her. But she couldn’t let them pull her to safety either, and that was why Angela let her hand be ripped from Genji’s as students pushed between them. Soon, she could no longer see him, could only hear his panicked screams of her name.

But this was how it needed to be. Because Angela was _there_. She was a superhero and she was there and she couldn’t let herself be pulled to safety while a giant deformed creature was trying to unwrap the building.

She couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ , allow people to get hurt because of her.

Running against the stream of students, she took a turn near the bathrooms. No one was there, everyone trying to get away from the monster as quickly as possible, and it allowed Angela some privacy as she let the warmth of her bracelet surround her. Wings fluttered to life on her back, her body feeling lighter all at once at the familiarity that she had missed so dearly. She took a deep breath, clutching her staff in her hands and ignoring the pain as she exited the bathroom. Determination flaring in her eyes, power in her veins mixing with the adrenaline, an excitement of finally being allowed to do what she was chosen to.

The corridor was deserted when she exited, and when she turned to where their classroom had been, all that stared back at her was a gaping hole. The side of the building smashed to pieces by the giant monster. Covered in tuffs of dark fur, face twisted and with empty, painfully human eyes, the monster looked more horrifying than anything Valkyrie had seen the past three years.

She doubted even Overwatch had seen such a horror during their time.  

The monster hadn’t seen her yet, too busy smashing the rubble into dust, claw-like hands curled into fists as it smashed and smashed. There was a moment where Valkyrie just allowed herself to stare, unable to do much else, wondering silently how such a childlike giant came to be. After all, it couldn’t have been something natural.

Twirling her staff in her hands, wings spread wide, she took to the air. It felt liberating to be airborne, especially after spending so much time stuck on the ground, and Valkyrie allowed a smile to tug on her lips. Only for a second.

She switched her staff for her gun, when the distance between her and the monster would allow her an easy target, and she fired a couple of shots. The monster seemed unaffected by it, the bullets bouncing off it like nothing. But it got its attention, wide eyes turning to her as it stopped smashing the building, reaching out for her instead and swatting at her as if she was nothing more but an irritating fly.

Valkyrie danced in the air, avoiding the swollen gigantic hands with ease, firing her gun at the monster’s eyes. It earned her a wail, the monster turning away from her in pain, waving its hands in her general direction.

She put some more distance between them, taking in the situation just as something orange flashed by at the corner of her eye. She turned and couldn’t possibly help the smile spreading on her lips as Sparrow landed on the ruined roof by her side. He grinned back up at her, familiar scar running down his lips, and Valkyrie had to keep herself still or else she might do something impulsive.

And being impulsive in these kinds of situations were incredibly dangerous and incredibly _stupid_.

“No time to catch up,” she said before he could speak, reaching out a hand for him to take. And he took it without hesitation, fingers wrapping around her wrist as she pulled him up, large wings carrying them. “But I’m glad you showed up.”

“Of course,” he whispered and it felt good to hear his voice again, that familiar tune that she’d come to miss. “I can’t let you fight alone.”

“How kind of you,” she shot back, her wings beating once in the air, bringing them up high above the monster. Sparrow held onto her hand, her lower arm, all but clinging to her and she knew he hated flying, and so made sure it was a short flight for him.

With a shared gaze and a simple nod, Valkyrie let go of Sparrow, and he twisted in the air, falling head first down towards the monster. A shine of metal reflecting the sun, and the monster turned towards them just in time to raise a hand to block the sharp sword aimed for its neck. Still, the sword cut deep into flesh and bone, two fat fingers falling to the ground as the monster roared and wailed, swatting against the two of them while trying to crawl away. A gigantic hand was placed on the other side of the school building, weight pressing down, and there was a sickening sound as the building collapsed.

Valkyrie tried not to think of anyone who might’ve been inside.

Wasting no time, Valkyrie followed Sparrow’s movements as he tried to hold onto the monster. His sword dug deep into the skin and tuffs of fur, making the monster slap itself, and if Sparrow hadn’t been as quick as he was, he would’ve been squished like nothing.

Valkyrie tried not to think of that either.

She raised her gun once more, aiming for the wide eyes, and it seemed to be a little too much for the monster to fight the two of them. It tried swatting at Sparrow and tried swatting at her, unable to do both simultaneously. With a few beats of her wings, Valkyrie put herself between the monster and the sun, making it impossible for the twisted beast to look straight at her. She fired her gun, bullets still bouncing off of it, but they still seemed to sting it eyes and proved enough as a distraction.

There was a sense of desperation in the air, growing the longer the fight went on. Because even if they did their jobs and tried to make sure the monster didn’t ruin anything more or killed anyone, there were still other dangers. Any time, the media would show up.

And that was the most dangerous of all.

“Sparrow!” She called, watching as he climbed higher on the monster’s back, to the point behind its shoulder blades where it couldn’t reach him as easily. At the sound of his name, Sparrow looked up at her, squinting against the sun. “Cut its neck! I’ll bring it down from here!”

Sparrow gave her a nod, feet bracing against the monster’s back as he threw himself upwards, sword swinging and catching the sunlight. It was a mesmerizing sight, but one Valkyrie was used to, and so she moved just as quickly.

Staff twirling in her hand, she brought it up high, wings spreading out to give her some momentum. And just as Sparrow’s sword sliced through the monster’s neck, Valkyrie brought down her staff on its forehead with all the power she could muster. There was a sickening _crack_ , and Valkyrie wasn’t quite sure what she had expected, but the cut neck twisted in an unnatural way. And with one last wail turning into a bubbling gurgle in its throat, the monster fell to the ground and landing in the middle of campus and away from the ruined building and any curious onlooker.

There was a pause in the air, Valkyrie watching as Sparrow stood up on a bloated stomach on shaky legs, rising his hand to give her a thumbs up.

And there were so many things she wanted to tell him, so many things she wanted to talk to him about. And she wanted to hug him and pull him close and never let go, even though she felt guilty for feeling such a thing and leaving Genji behind.

In the end, she didn’t do any of it. A flash went off in the quickly gathering crowd, and she was brought back to reality with a strange pain in her chest. Her wings fluttered nervously on her back as Sparrow jumped away, disappearing on the other side of the building.

She watched the scene before her for a moment longer, arms hugging herself in the absence of Sparrow’s warmth.

“It will be over soon,” she whispered, and she wasn’t sure who she was really trying to comfort.

 

*

 

Coughing in the air heavy with dust, Angela made her way outside. The building was deserted and it had been easy to detransform and hurry back to where the students were directed to in a crisis.

Her hand wasn’t bleeding anymore, her transformation having healed the worst of it, but since Genji had seen the wound and the blood, she wrapped it up in bandage. She always carried some around, just in case someone got hurt, even if it was rare for her to be the one. At least when she wasn’t transformed.

The campus outside the building was a mess of rubble and twisted metal, and she walked carefully over shattered glass. A sense of relief washed over her as she couldn’t see any traces of blood or severed limbs stuck underneath the rubble. And just ahead, on the football field, were every student and teacher that had been in the buildings. They were gathered in a large crowd that was quickly thinning out, with students running towards the gigantic body on the ground, phones up and trying to take pictures.

Wincing, Angela paused, a bit unsure if she should try and find her friends first or go and investigate the monster. She hadn’t had the time to do so while transformed, but there must’ve been some kind of reason why it attacked her and Genji.

There had been so many students to pick from in that room. So why had it reached specifically for them?

Mumbling and huffing under her breath, Angela didn’t notice as someone approached. She would’ve been disappointed in herself, in any other situation, at the way she jumped when a hand brushed by her elbow.

“Angela?”

Turning with a racing heart, she met Genji’s gaze, saw his wide eyes full of fear and worry that just seemed to melt away and was replaced by _something_ that Angela didn’t have the time to decipher before she was pulled into a tight hug. For a moment, she lost her breath. Then, when Genji hugged her closer and with his forehead coming to rest on her shoulder, she gave a soft huff and wrapped her arms around him as well.

He must’ve been worried, she guessed, at the way she was torn apart from him in all that chaos.

“I’m alright,” she whispered, didn’t know what else to say. “It didn’t get me.”

“You disappeared-,” he began, cut himself off. “I didn’t know _what to do_ , and-“ A heavy breath. “And I can’t lose you.”  

She gently patted his back, breathed in his familiar sense, and a feeling of déjà vu rushed over her. Frowning, Angela pulled back a bit to look him in the eye, searching for something she couldn’t word.

“Did you get out in time? Are you hurt?” A pause, and Genji shook his head slowly, and Angela wasn’t so sure what to make of that. “At least Fareeha and Jesse got out, right? Have you found them?”

“I don’t know, I think so,” he answered, letting his hands fall to his side for only a moment before he reached up to grasp her hurt hand. He frowned down at it, a worried wrinkle between his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something about it, a bit hesitant, before he gently squeezed her hand once and let it go. “I think I saw Jesse’s hat moving towards that… _thing_.”

Angela forced herself to take a deep breath, lying through her teeth like she was so used to. Yet it always felt harder to lie to Genji, for some reason. “Did Valkyrie and Sparrow show up? Is it dead?”

“Yeah, they were a bit brutal.” Genji turned towards the large, swollen body on the campus. “They looked desperate, as they fought.”

“Can’t blame them,” Angela whispered back, walking past him and letting her fingers brush his open palm just because she could. “Come, we should find Fareeha and Jesse. Preferably before they do something stupid.”

Genji huffed at that, a smile tugging at his lips, and Angela let herself smile with him.

“C’mon,” she said, continuing over the broken glass and rubble, and Genji followed closely behind. She kept her gaze focused on the giant lying completely still on the grass. Sure, she had seen Sparrow cut through its neck, and she had felt the crack through her staff, had seen the way its neck had twisted.

There was no way it could’ve survived.

But there were also no way it should’ve existed to begin with, and in these days, one couldn’t be too careful. So heading straight towards the monster without a care in the world was probably one of the stupidest things she had seen her friends do. And the stupidest thing she was about to do.

She told herself, as she stepped onto the dusty sidewalk with Genji tailing behind her and trying to keep up with her hurried steps, that it would all be fine if something happened. Because she was there to protect everyone.

Ahead, she saw Jesse’s hat move amongst the crowd that was pushing towards the monster, still keeping a distance, which was closing slowly as the students grew braver with each passing second. Next to him, she could make out Fareeha’s familiar hair, and she supposed it was a good thing to be tall sometimes. Easier to be seen in a crowd.

“Stupid,” she huffed under her breath, feeling her bracelet warm. “Let’s just hope that thing is dead or I’ll kill them both myself.”

Just behind her, Genji laughed, sounding a bit too carefree for someone who was approaching a monstrous giant which could crush a building with a single fist. Dead or not, it still looked horrifying.

But there was a thought nagging at her, now that there were no immediate danger. The monster had ignored every other student and had gone for her and Genji. Had picked out their building and their classroom out of every other option, had reached for them as if it had been out to specifically kill them both.

Angela couldn’t figure it out, knew that the pieces of the puzzle were all there, unable to put it all together.

“Something is wrong about all of this,” she said instead as they came close to the edge of the crowd, wording her thoughts aloud as if an answer would miraculously come to her. “Something is _very_ wrong.”

Genji glanced over at her, and as they pushed into the crowd, he gently grabbed her unhurt hand. To not get lost again, Angela guessed, and held his hand a little tighter.

“Is it because the monster is different?” A pause, Genji moving closer to her with the push of bodies around them, lowering his voice for only her to hear. Speaking the words she had feared. “Compared to the other monsters that attack the city, this one seems a bit too human.”

“But why?” Angela mumbled back. “None of this makes any sense.”

Genji hummed, tugging her along, before he paused and stood on his toes. “I can’t see Jesse’s hat anymore.”

“Typical.” With a huff, Angela pushed against the bodies around them, taking over the lead. “They’re probably as close as they can get to the monster.”

Behind her, Genji chuckled, allowing himself to be dragged through the crowd without a single complaint. “Wouldn’t surprise me.”

And it didn’t surprise Angela either, when they pushed through the crowd’s edge and came face to face with the giant, that Jesse and Fareeha were there as well. Poking the swollen belly with a long stick.

Up close, the monster was even more grotesque than when Valkyrie and Sparrow had fought it, blinded by adrenaline and desperation. It laid still, hopefully quite dead. Some kind of liquid resembling blood, yet too thick and too dark, was dripping out from its cut neck like tar. Angela coughed at the stench, of rotten flesh and grinded bones, and quickly pulled up her scarf to cover her mouth and nose. Next to her, Genji did the same, tears in his eyes as he squinted.

“Fareeha!” Angela called, voice muffled by her scarf.

At the sound of her name, Fareeha turned around with a wide grin on her face, one hand pinching her nose. “Angela! Genji! You’re safe!”

“Yeah, but I don’t know if this is what you call _safe_ ,” Angela huffed, gently punching Fareeha’s arm. “What the hell are you thinking? Going straight to the monster? _Seriously?_ ”

“It’s dead though,” Jesse jumped in, seemingly unbothered by the stench and Angela wasn’t sure how he was still standing. If she had to guess, it was probably because he grew up on a farm. “Figured it was safe to approach. Rare to see something like this up close, y’know?”

Angela and Genji only stared at him, disbelief in their eyes and they shared a quick glance. Sometimes Angela wondered how she ended up with friends like that. Yet even if they acted recklessly and sometimes got themselves into trouble, she wouldn’t trade them for anyone else.

“I still don’t like this,” Angela muttered, turning to glare at the monster. The skin stretching over its swollen stomach looked ready to burst at any second, and she had been covered in enough monster-goo to know that it was nearly impossible to wash out. Still, the skin looked strange. Patched together, the seams covered up with tuffs of fur and splotches that looked like burns. Some parts almost looked like cloth.

Taking a step forward, even though her whole being screamed at her to turn the other way, she tilted her head to the side as she looked over the material. Faded blue, melted together with the rest of the skin around it, looking grotesque in every way.

Something was poking out of it.

Before Angela could reach out and grasp it, Genji had moved by her side. His fingers curled around the small piece of fabric, and with a sickening rip, he pulled it off. Angela just stared at him, glad that she had only eaten something light for lunch.

“This was what you were looking at, right?” Genji held out the piece of fabric to her, and she hesitantly took it between two fingers, holding it up so she could see what it was. Thin and bleached, feeling almost like silk between her fingers, marked with a dark ink that almost looked like a word.

Or a name.

“That was incredibly gross,” she huffed at him, quickly putting the piece of fabric in her pocket before Genji could see. “Please don’t do it again.”

A nervous laughter and Angela could see how he smiled by how he looked at her. “Yeah, we should probably move away before it pops.”

“You think it’s gonna burst?!” Fareeha turned to them, stick held high and just about to poke the monster again. Behind them, the crowd had moved closer, but at her words, there were nervous shifts and whispers rising up. “That’s truly disgusting.”

“Based on how it looks, I think it’s a possibility. And I’m not sure I want to find out what’s inside it.”

Both Fareeha and Jesse made a disgusted noise before slowly putting down the stick, as if any hasty movements would make the monster’s stomach crack open.

“Besides,” Angela continued, nodding towards the edge of the crowd where uniformed men and women were pushing through. “The police are here.”

“That was quick,” she could hear Genji mutter under his breath, and she couldn’t help but smile at that, had the same thought. Usually, the police could take ages before they showed up to a robbery or similar, which was why Valkyrie and Sparrow always had to interfere before things got out of hand. But perhaps the superheroes’ recent absence had affected them more than the force might’ve wanted to admit.

The crowd was ushered away to a safe distance from the monster as the investigators poked the monster with their own sticks, muttering to themselves and probably didn’t even know where to start. One of the police wandering about stepped into the dripping blood gave a yell and threw off his shoe as the thick liquid ate through the material.

“Alright, yeah, I see your point,” Fareeha whispered, wincing at the scene and pressed closer to her friends. “All of a sudden, I’m not feeling too curious either.”

The police soon directed their attention to the crowd, and no one was allowed to leave until they gave their version of what had happened. And all the while the police man asked the standard question to Angela, of what she had seen and what she had done and if she had been present when the superheroes arrived, she could feel the piece of fabric weight heavy in her pocket. And if she hadn’t been Valkyrie, if she had just been a regular scared civilian, she might’ve given that piece of fabric to the police when she had first seen them.

Only when the police man finally let her go, none the wiser of what had really happened, did Genji approach her, tugging her to the side where no one could hear their conversation. It might’ve looked like nothing, if anyone was to look at them, simply someone comforting their friend after a traumatic event. Still, there was a curiosity in Genji’s eyes, a suspicion that he only needed proof for, an honest answer.

“There was something written on it,” he said, and it didn’t sound like a question. “On the piece of fabric.”

Angela hesitated for a moment before she reached into her pocket and handed him the tag. He held it carefully, skillfully hiding it from view so the police wouldn’t catch sight of it. He frowned down at it as he tried to read it, letters forming on his lips, sounding more like a name than a word.

Familiar in the way it had been repeated so often on the news.

And Angela didn’t know what to say, with this new piece of the puzzle in their hands. Didn’t know what to think, didn’t know what to do, in a situation like this. Could only silently ask herself how someone could be so cruel and why she had been too weak to protect those who had needed it the most.

“The horrors they must’ve been through,” she whispered under her breath, felt tear sting in her eyes and she furiously wiped them away. They had acted in self-defense, taking down the monster, no matter what it had once been. And even though dread was spreading in her veins, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of hope. If one of them had survived, no matter how horrible fate would have it, then perhaps there were still hope for the others.

Genji looked at her, eyes unreadable, and Angela could no longer wish that he hadn’t figured out the truth about her. Not when such horrors had been revealed.

“The monster was after us. It reached for us, only for us,” he spoke, voice low, a hint of anger just underneath. “Why? Why would it-“ A pause and he shook his head as if get rid of any unwelcome thoughts. “What have we done for a monster to put a target on our backs? I mean, we’re just regular students. Right?”

She only nodded and Genji took a deep breath, seeming to try and calm himself. But he didn’t seem angry with her, strangely enough, but at something else entirely.

“Angela,” he said, and at the sound of her name, Angela looked up to meet his gaze. Felt all lies on her tongue disappear. “What are you really investigating?”

“I-“ she began, swallowed, and tried again. “The missing children. Maximilien’s involvement in it all. That’s what I’m investigating.”

The look she received was a mix of fear and realization and _recognition_ , as if he had heard those words before. He took a shaky breath, searching her gaze for something she wasn’t so sure he would find. “But why? Valkyrie and Sparrow are doing that. It’s too dangerous for us. We’re just-“

“Civilians, I know,” Angela interrupted, couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice, the frustration of being so powerless. “But I figured that sometimes even superheroes need help. And this is our city too. The least we can do is help protecting it.”

There was a pause, Genji staring at Angela as if she had lost her mind and yet said something so groundbreaking he was forced to reevaluate the past three years of his life. But Angela stood firm, refused to avoid her gaze or bend before him. She refused to give up.

Slowly, Genji nodded. “Alright, I’m in. I’ll help you.”

And Angela didn’t know why she felt such relief at his words. It might’ve been because he reminded her of Sparrow, in that strange way that didn’t make any sense and yet made her feel so much safer. Or it might’ve been because they went into that abandoned building together, had each other’s backs so naturally. And either way, Angela figured that Genji’s help was worth something, that it would be easier to solve things if they were two.

“We must’ve been at the right place then,” Genji said, a wrinkle between his eyebrows as he thought, putting together those pieces of the puzzle they held. “That abandoned building. Why attack us, and only us, if we weren’t close to the truth back then?”

A shiver went down Angela’s spine, a thrill in her bones without any hint of fear.

“You know what that means,” she said, determination burning in her eyes as she held his gaze, felt a smile tug at her lips. “We have to go back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! It means the world to me and it's what keeps me going! <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that things take a darker turn this chapter. Nothing is described in detail, only hinted at. 
> 
> Make sure to check out [this awesome fanart](https://overwatch-wanders.tumblr.com/post/173373504246/) and [this one](https://overwatch-wanders.tumblr.com/post/173406874251/) by [Overwatch-wanders](https://overwatch-wanders.tumblr.com/), and [this lovely piece](https://midorinarukami.tumblr.com/post/173829809877/) by [Midorinarukami](http://midorinarukami.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

It was snowing the next day, flakes twirling around them with a promise of a white world, as they met up at the edge of the city. It was still early in the morning, reminding Angela of the patrols she usually took as the sun rose over the city.

Only difference was that instead of Sparrow being by her side, Genji smiled at her with a flush over his nose and deep on his cheeks where the cold bit him. He was dressed in a coat that looked way too thin for the weather, and an orange scarf wrapped around his neck that seemed vaguely familiar.

“Is that a new scarf?” Angela asked, trying to break the somewhat tense silence as they walked between the tall buildings. She tried not to be paranoid, tried not to imagine movements in the broken windows, tried to not think of it at all.

Genji didn’t seem to notice the thick air of danger around them. At least Angela hoped that was the case, and that he wasn’t just acting brave and putting up a façade. Because ignoring a danger, no matter how subtle it might be, could cost you your life. Especially in a city such as theirs.

“A gift from my brother,” he answered, tugging a bit on the scarf, as if suddenly conscious that he was wearing it. “Not sure what I think of the orange though.”

Angela looked him over, simply because she could. “Yeah, it’s a quite… _loud_ color.” A pause, a smile spreading on her lips as she turned her gaze back to the building ahead. “It fits you though.”

She missed the way he grinned at her, the way his cheeks flushed a little darker.

They fell into silence the last of the way, Angela too tense to speak, and even though Genji seemed as relaxed as ever, even he kept that silence. Perhaps he did it for her sake, noticing the way her gaze flickered to the buildings they passed and the way she moved closer to him at every little sound around them. Or perhaps he didn’t know what to say or was simply too scared to speak, despite the brave look in his eyes.

Still, Angela couldn’t shake the feeling of trouble, of danger, following them. Just a few steps behind them, breathing down their necks. And it made her nerves stand on end, ready to fight if needed. She almost hoped that Genji would speak some words of reassurance, that he would lie and say that it would all be alright. But she was certain that they were at the right place. She didn’t know what they would find, just knew that danger would follow. It was simply the way things worked in their city. Wherever a mystery was waiting to be solved, danger would lie waiting, as patient as any predator.

Somehow, they reached the building without anything jumping out on them, without any mutated giant coming to crush them, and they paused just outside. There wasn’t any hesitation, no they were way past that, but there was a moment of pause. A moment of realization that _this is it_.

Angela glanced over at Genji, found his gaze so easily, and it seemed to pull her back down to Earth.

“Ready?” Her voice was but a whisper, and yet it sounded too loud as the echo threatened to pick it up.

And Genji nodded at her, a determination in his eyes that made her feel safe, despite the situation and the way her bracelet was burning and waiting for her wish of transformation. “Ready.”

The rusty door didn’t scream at them as they opened it, but the inside of the Love Nest hadn’t changed from their last visit. Dust still hung heavy in the air, and there were still rats scurrying about in the shadows.

Angela tugged up her scarf to cover her mouth and nose, flicking her flashlight on to light up any spot they might’ve missed last time. They must’ve overlooked something then, something obvious or hidden, because there was no reason for Maximilien, or whoever it was that was behind all of this, to send a mutated monster after them if they hadn’t been close to the truth.

But that fact also came with a horrifying thought. The villain must’ve known they had been there, which meant that the place was most likely filled with security cameras and whatnot. There was a possibility that the villain knew they were there again, right now. Waiting and planning on how to deal with them.

And it also meant that Angela couldn’t transform. Not if the villain could see her, not if there was a chance of cameras catching the golden shimmer and the width of her wings. If things went really bad, if their lives, if _Genji’s_ life, was threatened then she would have to choose.

She just wasn’t sure if she would make the right choice, of keeping her secret alive or protecting Genji from harm. And yet she knew, so certain that it was almost frightening, that she would fight even Maximilien alone if it meant protecting Genji. She hoped, more than anything, that these conflicting thoughts wouldn’t stop her from making a choice at all if she was ever put in a situation like that.

She would simply have to sort them out until then.

“See anything interesting?” Genji spoke, voice muffled by his scarf, and Angela turned to him. “Or anything we missed last time?”

“No, it all looks the same,” Angela mumbled, turning her flashlight towards the graffiti on the walls and the empty cans and cigarette butts on the ground. “Except for some trash. I don’t understand how people dare to go here, if they say it’s haunted and all.”

Genji shrugged, walking up to crouch down at the trash. As if it could give them some kind of clue, or if it had been Maximilien himself who had left the empty cans of soda there.

“I heard some people get a thrill out of that. Going to haunted places. Investigating the paranormal,” he mumbled, picking up a can and sniffing it, making a grimace before throwing it away. “Kinda like we’re doing.”

“Except we’re not investigating something _paranormal_.” Angela crossed her arms over her chest, angling the flashlight to let Genji see in the dark. “This could actually be dangerous. Like, really dangerous.”

Humming, Genji shuffled around a bit more in the trash before he stood up. He turned to her, squinting against the flashlight. She lowered it, as to not blind him, and as soon as the light fell from him, he froze.

Before Angela could ask what it was, he had grabbed her hand and dragged her behind a crumbled wall. He crouched down on the floor and she quickly followed, turning off the flashlight. Eyes wide, holding her breath.

Her bracelet burning on her skin.

At first, she didn’t know why Genji had dragged her down there, what he had seen. Then, she heard the mumbling.

It sounded irritated, words incomprehensible at first, and then the large doors swung open in silence. And in walked a tall woman, a scowl on her face. She paused in the doorway, only momentarily, scanning the room. A hand on Angela’s arm forced her to stay completely still, and the woman’s gaze passed over them unseeing.

Huffing, the woman continued further into the building, words soon reaching them.

“-should not have taken this job,” she grumbled, moving amongst the rubble with certainty, towards the edge with the strange structure rising from the ground. “Stupid, meddling kids. Making my life harder than I’m getting paid for.”

There was something familiar about her. About her red hair and slender figure, the way she moved. It was as if Angela had seen her before, had listened to hours of her speaking about medical research-

“Genji,” she breathed, didn’t dare to even whisper in case the woman would hear them. “That’s O’Deorain.”

He glanced over at her, confusion in the wrinkle between his eyebrows, and for a moment she wondered if Genji actually paid attention to their classes or if he was just there for the good company. She reached over and gripped his coat, to ground herself or keep him from doing something stupid, she didn’t know.

“Moira O’Deorain.” Angela turned her gaze back to the woman, who was still muttering under her breath and knocking on the short pillars rising from the ground. “She’s a famous geneticist, her research was a breakthrough in modern medicine.” A pause, Angela shifting a bit to see Moira better. “She’s also wanted in quite a lot of countries after it was revealed that her unethical experiments were made on _humans_.”

Her voice died in her throat just as Moira finally found what she was looking for. A soft scraping of metal against metal, and a small display opened up on one of the small pillars. Without hesitation, Moira placed her hand on it, and a second later there was a _beep_ echoing through the room.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. The echo slowly falling away.

Moira gave an irritated sigh, impatiently tapping her foot on the floor, muttering something about “cheap bastard.”

As if by her command, the sound of metal scraping against metal rose from the ground, a horrible screech that made Angela cover her ears. Moira seemed undisturbed by it, however, simply stood still as the floor in front of her opened up to reveal clean stairs. She barely waited for the screeching to stop before she descended, soon disappearing into the darkness.

A moment of hesitation was all it took before Genji had stood up, about to follow Moira, and Angela tightened her hold on his coat.

“What are you thinking?!” She hissed out, not even trying to hide the fear in her voice. “If Moira is involved in this, it’s even more dangerous than before! We can’t just follow her!”

“We can’t sit around and wait for the superheroes either,” Genji shot back. He didn’t sound irritated, more impatient than anything, and it made Angela’s grip falter. “We can’t get in contact with them, and you’ve said it yourself; this is our city as well! This,” he paused gesturing towards the opening in the floor. “This is the least we can do.”

It wasn’t fair of him, to use her words against her, especially when she was just trying to protect him from danger. But she had put herself into this strange situation, and there was nowhere out. She couldn’t get rid of Genji, in fear of him doing something stupid alone and because it would be impossible to actually convince him to leave her to it without revealing the truth about her identity.

And she supposed, as the metal slowly started to slide into place again to cover up the stairs, that she should’ve realized sooner that the people Maximilien was working with must’ve been powerful as well. After all, he wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“One day, you’re going to get us both killed,” Angela grumbled as she released Genji’s coat. Together they ran towards the stairs, all but throwing themselves down it, ducking the metal sliding back into place above them

For a moment, the world was a complete darkness. Angela reached out to her sides, feeling the soft material of Genji’s coat on her left and the cold smooth wall on her right. And in the end of the narrow corridor was a faint light.

Genji seemed to notice it at the same time, walking down the last steps of the stairs. Then he paused, turning slightly towards Angela.

“It will be alright, I promise,” he whispered with such a warmth in his voice that Angela didn’t doubt him for a second. But they had no idea what they would find, and she knew that he wouldn’t be able to protect her if something really bad was to happen.

Seeing her hesitation, he reached out a hand for her to take. “As long as we stay hidden, we will be out of harm’s way.”

A soft sigh escaped Angela, and she gently took his hand as she walked down to join him at the bottom of the stairs. “We’ll try and find some clues or proof of what’s going on. But at the first sign of danger, we’re out.”

“I promise.”

In any other situation, she might’ve scolded him for making promises he wouldn’t be able to keep, but the words quickly died on her tongue as they walked down the corridor. Her heart was beating too fast in her chest, almost painfully so, and she tried her hardest to breathe normally.

All the while, she refused to let go of Genji’s hand, held onto the small comfort that he was close, and he didn’t seem to mind.

The walls of the corridor were smooth. There were no doors and no signs, and the only source of light came from the end of the corridor, as well as the constant red blinking of a fire alarm they passed. Despite them being underground though, the air was surprisingly warm, and Angela almost envied Genji’s thin coat.

Reaching the end of the corridor, they both paused, backs pressed against the wall. Genji held up a hand, motioning for her to stay still, as he slowly leaned around the corner.

He was still for a few seconds, then tugged on her hand as he walked into the other room. Angela followed closely, resisting the urge to clutch at his clothes because she was definitely not the most helpless person there.

The cool light in the room was almost blinding, and Angela had to blink a few times before she could see clearly.

The room was large, walls painted a sterile white that could only be found in a hospital or a lab. There were two doors, both closed and no windows, and without signs they couldn’t even guess where they could lead. At the other side of the room was another corridor, this time with light. And when Angela looked up, she saw a crack in the ceiling, as if it could be opened.

Otherwise, the room was empty.

“It smells like a hospital in here,” Angela muttered, wrinkling her nose at the smell. She might be studying to become a doctor, but it didn’t mean that she enjoyed the stench of death and disinfectants.

Genji glanced over at her, worry in his eyes. Because it wasn’t really the best sign that the villain’s secret base, or lab or whatever this was, smelled like sterile death. And that morbid clue alone should’ve been enough for them to leave, but Angela didn’t even think of turning back. Not when they had just scraped at the surface.

They seemed to come to a wordless agreement to press on, as Genji didn’t seem ready to turn back either, and he momentarily let go of Angela’s hand to push on the doors. They both seemed to be locked and so there was only one way for them to go.

“Moira must’ve gone this way,” Angela mumbled as she let Genji take her hand again, for the warm security of course, and together they walked through the other corridor. It was empty, just like the first, but it was shorter and separated into two different directions at the end.

“Which way?” Genji whispered, coming to a pause at the end of it. To the left, the corridor lead to an open door, seeming to lead into another large room. To their right was a simple closed door, which seemed to be locked as well.

“How about we try left?” Angela took a step in that direction. “Explore what they have left open and obvious first.”

Genji shrugged, following Angela’s lead as they pressed close to the wall. “Sounds like a plan.”

This time, it was Angela who glanced around the corner and into the other room. And so she was the first to see the mess inside. For a moment, she stood frozen, trying to process exactly what she was seeing.

It was a lab. That much was obvious, with the different test tubes and containers filled with different liquids that covered the tables. Notes were scattered around the room, pinned to a board and some on the floor covered in colorful stains.

And in the middle of the room, surrounded by notes and computer screens, was Moira. She held up a vial to the sharp light, swirled around its contents for a moment, before she grumbled and wrote down something on a nearby paper.

Angela took a shaky breath, held Genji’s hand tighter as to hide the trembling. “What in the world are they doing here?”

In the lab, Moira paused. Then she slowly lowered the vial and put it back on the worktable, sighing heavily. “I’m not in the mood for games today, so I suggest you go stick your nose in someone else’s business.”

As if struck, Angela pulled back, pressing closely against the wall. Moira hadn’t been able to see her, with her back to the corridor, but she had _heard_. Glancing over at Genji, meeting his wide eyes, she knew that they were in trouble. If Moira decided to come their way, then they had nowhere to hide. Their only option would be to run.

And she knew that Moira wouldn’t be merciful if she caught them.

Holding her breath, heart beating too fast in her chest, she kept Genji’s gaze. Saw her own fear mirrored, yet knowing that they were in this together. He wouldn’t leave her behind, just as she wouldn’t leave him.

The short wait for what Moira would do seemed like an eternity of silence, where every breath could be the trigger of something worse. As if their very heartbeats would set off an alarm.

Then Moira huffed, sounding irritated beyond belief, followed by the light clink of glass against glass as if she was moving things around. “Suit yourself.” A pause, a low muttering that Angela had to strain to hear. “I’m surrounded by idiots. Don’t know where he finds them.”

There were some more clinking, another heavy sigh, and then light footsteps on the floor seeming to walk away.

Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage again, Angela leaned forward and looked back into the room. Moira was still there, easy to spot with her red hair, and she still had her back to them, seeming to be busy with the different notes. 

Holding onto Genji’s hand like a lifeline, Angela leaned even further out to get a better look at the room. From what she could see, there was only one door. Which meant that if Moira was leaving, she would be heading their way and they would most definitely be caught.

There was only one way to go.

Soundlessly, she let go of Genji’s hand. He gave her a worried look, but as she held up a hand and pointed into the room, he seemed to catch on. He gave her a nod, moving slightly from the wall to look into the room as well.

Moira still had her back to them, muttering something under her breath. Angela kept an eye on her and slowly, while holding her breath and with the constant fear of being caught, crawled into the room.

She tried to be as quiet as possible, avoiding the paper on the floor, and moving at the edge of the room while keeping behind the counters. Keeping quiet didn’t seem to be a problem for Genji as he followed, and Angela became even more convinced that he was a ninja of some sort. If they hadn’t been in this situation, she might’ve laughed at it, at how bizarre it seemed. Yet it reminded her of how little she actually knew of him, and when she thought of it, she couldn’t remember a time where they had actually shared a lot about themselves. Sure, she knew he had a brother, but not much else.

And just with Ana and Jesse’s family, she hoped that he too would be safe. Sometimes she had a moment of relief that she didn’t have a family of her own to worry about, before she reminded herself that she did. Perhaps not bound by blood, but by something much stronger.

_Beep_.

Angela and Genji froze at the same time, hidden behind a counter and if Moira looked their way, she wouldn’t possibly see them. They heard her sigh heavily as she picked up a notebook, seemingly undisturbed by the sound.

_Beep_.

“Sombra!” Moira called, voice dry and chilly, yet the smooth walls easily carried her voice. “I know you’re there! Go do your job!”

Angela felt her heartbeat speed up, bracelet hot around her wrist, and she quickly covered her mouth with a hand to muffle her breathing, anything that could give their position away. Had they triggered an alarm? Was this _Sombra_ a guard or something much more dangerous? Would Angela even be able to fight both of them?

_Beep_.

“Oh for the love of-!” Moira all but snarled and slammed down the notebook onto the counter. Patience didn’t seem to be a virtue she possessed. “I am not getting paid for playing babysitter!”

Huffing and puffing, she straightened her tie before storming off with a deep scowl on her face, walking straight past Angela and Genji behind the counter and missing them completely. Blinded in her irritation over the alarm that stopped a moment later, followed by the sound of another door opening and then slamming closed.

“This is our chance,” Angela mumbled under her breath, finding comfort in Genji’s gaze. “If we want to try and find something useful, this is the time.”

He gave her a nod, and together they stood up from behind the counter. Angela cast a nervous glance towards the door, slightly ajar from Moira’s storming out, before making her way to the middle of the room where the geneticist had been just moments ago. If they were to find something important, then it would be the notes that had been cared for and not the ones scattered about on the floor.

Avoiding the many vials with strange liquid and trying not to move around too much, Angela looked over the notes that covered the counter. She picked up a few and scanned them quickly for something useful, but most of them were covered in statistics and diagrams, absurdly colorful while marked as _Test Subject 3, Test Subject 8, Test Subject 17_ -

“ _Shit_ , guess you were right about this,” Genji breathed out next to her, staring with wide eyes at the notes, and he glanced up to catch her eye, held her gaze for a moment as if she was on the verge of running away. “With your conspiracy theory.”

“Yeah, except this is much, _much_ worse.” Angela lifted up one specific note, the robotic handwriting of Maximilien’s impossible to miss, reading it out loud with a voice she kept from trembling. “ _Remember to feed them today. We can’t have another one dying on us._ ” A pause and she put down the note. “Maximilien is working with Moira after all.”

“And look at that,” Genji whispered, pointing at one of the larger screens, showing a camera feed. A long corridor stretched out, doors upon doors on each side, looking almost like a prison with the heavy locks from the outside. Moira could be seen walking down the corridor, pushing a cart before her with stacks of store-bought meals still in their plastic containers. As they watched, she paused in front of one of the doors, opening a small hatch to push in one of the plastic meals. Then she moved on to the next door, repeating the process.

And they seemed to realize the truth at the same time, a horrified gasp leaving Angela. Her hands trembled, clutching the notes tighter in her fists, crinkling the papers and threatening to rip them apart.

“The children,” she mumbled, tears in her eyes and she wasn’t sure if it was because of her immense sorrow or because of the anger she felt. Her mind filling with a million _if only_ , yet knowing that the children wouldn’t have been found earlier anyway. Neither by the police or by the superheroes. “I can’t imagine,” she began, voice on the verge of breaking, “the pain they’ve been through. How many that’s been lost.” A pause, a deep breath, and she turned to Genji while blinking away the tears. “We need to save them.”

There was a moment of silence as Genji seemed to gather himself as well, swallowing and clearing his throat, and it took a moment longer before he spoke. “We need to be careful here. They’ve got a camera set up, seemingly only in that one corridor. If we go in there, they will know it’s us.”

Forcing herself to calm down, to think rationally, because Genji was right. They had no idea how to open the doors, couldn’t see the security system in the lab, and even if they did manage to open up the doors, then what? It was a long, narrow corridor ill fit for fighting and they would be surrounded before they could come far. And they could only see the corridor on the camera feed, couldn’t see into the small cells, and the small dirty windows of the doors didn’t help either. There was no way for them to try and figure out which ones were occupied and the state of the children, if they were even fit to be moved.

And based on the notes they found, there was no knowing of exactly _what_ they would find in those cells either.

“We need to form a better plan.” Angela nodded slowly, putting down the notes and trying to smoothen them out a bit to hide her traces. “We should try and contact Valkyrie and Sparrow, the police, just someone about this. But,” she interrupted herself, frowning down at her trembling hands. “We can’t do that either, can we?”

“The police won’t believe us, even if we had proof.”

“And we can’t get in contact with two superheroes that have gone under the radar,” she groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Which means-“

“That it’s all up to us,” Genji finished for her, something in his voice that made her pause. A strange kind of confidence that didn’t seem faked, as if he was sure that he could protect her if needed be. She wanted to call him foolish for thinking that such a thing would be possible, and once again she had to bite her tongue.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded again, fingers brushing his as she walked past him to look over one of the screens. “We still have time to look around a bit more.”

Not commenting on Angela’s earlier words and their promise, to leave whenever things started to look really dangerous, and things were definitely looking pretty grim at the moment, Genji went back to looking at the evidence before them.

On the screen before her was the line of a heartrate monitor. The line was flat and at first Angela didn’t pay it any attention, trying to figure out what the other small bars to the side meant and who it could possibly be connected to.

But then the line made a jump.

It wasn’t large enough to have been a heartbeat, just barely a movement in the line, but it drew her attention. As she waited, she counted the seconds.

Then the line jumped again.

Frowning at it, she tilted her head slightly to the side. It was measuring something alive, not quite a human heartbeat, but something nonetheless. She squinted at it, trying to gather more clues. It could be connected to one of the children, could be a sign of life and a testament of the true horrors that was created there. But at the top right corner was a small text, and it didn’t have anything to do with the children.

“The Relic Room,” she read in a hushed voice, making Genji turn to her with a matching frown. And just as he did, he put down the vial he was holding on top of a stack of paper. As soon as it left his hand, the stack of papers sank down a centimeter, a soft _click_ echoing in the room, loud enough to make them both jump.

What followed next wasn’t the alarm Angela had been expecting, and it didn’t suddenly summon guns from the walls directed at them either. Instead, with a light scraping sound, the wall on the opposite side of the room opened up, revealing a bright room within.

Lifting an eyebrow, Genji met her gaze, and after a quick glance on the camera feed to make sure that Moira hadn’t heard the click and wasn’t on her way back, they made their way to the opening.

“What could possibly be so important that it has to be hidden behind a secret door?” Angela muttered, letting Genji be the one to lean around the corner and scan the room first. Because for all they knew, that important thing could be the security room, or the head office of Maximilien.

And as Genji froze for a second, Angela reached out, ready to grab a hold on his coat and pull him back to safety. The only thing that stopped her was his silent whisper of disbelief. “ _How?_ ”

As if forgetting that Angela was even there, he walked into the room. Frowning, Angela followed, worry growing in her stomach.

The room itself was small, formed like a hexagon with the standard white walls. In the middle was a pedestal wired to some strange technology, which didn’t measure a heartbeat, but something that was quite alive anyway.

And upon that pedestal was a single ring.

“Is that…?” Angela began, trailing off from the _impossibility_ of it. They had talked about it before, joked it off as a conspiracy theory, because Angela knew better than anyone that there were only two superheroes in that city. Yet at the very sight of the ring, the relic that could transform someone to become more than human, she knew that it wasn’t a copy or something fake. It couldn’t be, not from the way her bracelet burned from being near it, reacting so violently that she grimaced and clutched her wrist.

Genji cleared his throat, clutching the front of his coat, as if he suddenly had trouble breathing. “What is that?”

About to answer with the truth, forgetting herself for a moment, Angela quickly closed her mouth again. Took a moment to think before she answered. “I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s a good thing.” She paused, pointing at the electric construction, small pulses in time with the heartbeat streaming down the pipes. “See that? It almost looks like they’re tapping its power.”

“It’s power?” Genji stepped closer to it, something tense in his jaw and hard in his eyes as his breathing grew heavy. Perhaps, Angela guessed, being near pure magic must be a different experience for someone who wasn’t regularly in contact with it. Even she felt its _hostility_.

“You mean you can’t feel it?” Angela huffed. “The way it’s humming in the air? The way it steals your breath? I don’t know _what_ it is, but it’s something powerful and dangerous and they’re obviously using it!”

Genji remained silent for a moment before he took yet another step closer, standing just before the relic. “So this is what they’ve been using?” A pause, and he glanced back to Angela. The look he gave her made her heart stutter. “In the experiments?”

She didn’t have the heart to answer him. They both knew the truth.

Turning back around, Angela couldn’t read him, had no way of stopping him as he without warning reached out for the ring. But as if hitting an invisible barrier, Genji only managed to press his fingers against the thin air. The moment he made contact, there was a pause in the air.

And then came the hell Angela had just been waiting for.

The alarm was so loud that it sent a ringing to her ears, seeming to rattle her brain. The once sterile light around them turned into blinking red lights, and seemed to scream just as loud as the alarm.

Feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline, Angela jumped into action. She rushed up to Genji, despite her bracelet threatening to burn through her skin, grabbing a hold on his hand and tearing him away from the relic.

“We need to run!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, no longer worried about being heard. It was a bit too late to worry about that, when their biggest worry should be to not get caught.

Genji blinked at her, letting himself be tugged along, and only when they exited the room did he jerk back as if struck. As if he only then noticed the alarm. “Ah _shit_.”

Taking the lead, Angela kept her firm grip on Genji’s hand, running through the lab. Over the scattered notes of failed and succeeded experiments, never mentioning a name. Out into the corridor where the other door was beginning to open, Moira’s loud cursing from within.

“I swear to _God_ , Sombra! If this is one of your pranks again-!”

Taking a sharp turn, Angela and Genji ran down the corridor, back the way they had originally come from. Behind them, they heard Moira’s calling for Sombra, and they managed to reach the first large room before there was a shout of realization. A moment later, Moira’s voice echoed through the base, carried by hidden speakers in the walls.

“Red alert, _red alert!_ Activate code T-A-L-O-N!”

As if by command, the room started to shake. Angela faltered in her steps and Genji quickly placed a hand on her hips to steady her, pausing only for a moment.

And to their sides, the once closed doors swung open, metal screeching from within. The telltale sound of guns being loaded and ready to fire.

Wasting no more time, they rushed out of the room, climbing the stairs they had once entered through. The red alarm lit up their way, and Moira’s command had opened up their path.

The dusty air in the warehouse still made Angela cough, but neither of them faltered in their steps as they ran outside. Snow greeted them, thick on the ground and heavy in the air, limiting their vision somewhat. But there was no time to pause, no time to collect their thoughts, no time to scold Genji for doing such a foolish thing. They kept running, fighting through the snow and holding onto each other to not slip.

Behind them, metal screeched against metal, and Angela dared a glance back.

Soldiers raced out of the building, and it weren’t for the way they moved, the way their design reminded her for Maximilien’s, they could’ve been mistaken for human. They seemed to have locked onto Genji and her, weapons raised and ready to fire.

With a curse falling from her lips, Angela pushed Genji to the side, rounding a corner and making the robots lose visual on them, making it impossible to shoot. Genji didn’t make a sound, only gave her a grateful look before they kept running. Taking sharp turns in the maze of abandoned buildings, doing their best to shake the robots off. But they both knew that they couldn’t keep this up. In the snow, they were slower than the robots that couldn’t lose their breath and where one slipped another would take its place to keep up the hunt.

They needed to lose them somehow, or Angela needed to sneak away to transform, but for that she would have to leave Genji and she couldn’t possibly leave him to the robots and-

Before Angela could make a decision, Genji had twisted her around. She stumbled, snow twirling around them, and she flailed for a second before her back connected with a sturdy brick wall.

“Genji, what the-“ she began, the anger in her voice not enough to mask the fear of being chased. And yet the words fell silent on her tongue as Genji quickly stepped close to her, efficiently pinning her in place and blocking her from view. His nose almost brushing hers.

He intertwined their fingers, his free hand coming up to brush away the hair sticking to her cheek. And all she could do was stare, to meet his gaze as her anger fell away to disbelief.

Did he really think that it was so hopeless to flee from the robots that he’d rather give up? That he’d rather serve them both on a silver platter, standing completely still and out in the open, just waiting to be caught? Or was this just another step in his brilliant plan, to bring them closer to the relic or closer to Moira, closer to the one behind all of this?

“Genji,” she began, voice suddenly weak. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t want a part of his plan anymore. That this was too foolish, even for him. That he was forcing her into a corner where she would sooner rather than later have to reveal who she truly was.

But she couldn’t tell him either of those things. Couldn’t even tell him that he was an idiot for making her go through the horrors of the lab, of finding out the truth, of being chased.

Not when he was looking at her with those warm eyes, showing no hint of fear or regret or any of the common emotions Angela had seen from so many in the face of death. And as if he hadn’t realized that it was over for them yet, with the sound of heavy metal and steady footfalls growing louder for each moment they lingered, he leaned closer.

Their noses brushed, a feather light touch that made Angela draw for breath.

She pushed back against the wall, her thoughts a mess because she couldn’t figure him out and _this was really not the time for this!_ Because there was no chance that he liked her, not like that and not when he already liked Valkyrie the way he did, and so there was no reason for him to lean in for a kiss. Lips a breath away from hers and so she stopped breathing, as if to keep that small distance.

“Angela,” he mumbled, the first words spoken since they had started running, an urgency in his voice. “Pretend like you’re kissing me.”

For a heartbeat, Angela stared. Then his words sank in, confusing and _insane_. And if she had been anyone else, if it had been Fareeha in her place, then she would’ve hit Genji square in the gut and left him for the robots. Especially for playing with her feelings like so. But she wasn’t anyone else but herself, and there was a nervous shift in Genji’s eyes as the robots came closer, Moira’s furious voice heard over the falling snow.

And he had said “pretend”, had he not?

With her breath stuck in her throat, and with the first robot rounding the corner, Angela gently cupped Genji’s chin and leaned closer. And it was weird how she noticed the little details with death aiming its gun at them. The sharp intake of breath, the tremble of a lower lip with such a familiar scar, the quick flickering of his gaze before he met her eye again.

They both held their breaths, waiting for the signal to fire, for that first gunshot. Angela’s bracelet burned her skin, waiting ever so patiently for the command to turn the tables in their favor.

But the command from Moira never came, and her voice wasn’t followed by a gunshot. Instead, there was a loud curse and the unmistakable sound of someone hitting metal. “Those are civilians, _idiot_! Do you know how messy that is to clean up?!” A pause, the shuffling of metal. “I’ve got enough on my hands as it is. Now, go search for them over there instead, they couldn’t have gotten far-“

Moira’s voice faded away, and it was never followed by gunshots or blood or pain or anything else that Angela was familiar with. There was a tense moment where they both waited, holding onto each other until the last sound of metal disappeared.

Angela’s lips brushed Genji’s cheek, a puff of breath against the flushed skin as she breathed out in relief. She felt him go completely still underneath her touch, and quickly pulled back to stop herself from doing something stupid. This was just pretend to save their lives, after all, and there was no reason to make things more complicated than what they already were.

“This is a common spot for couples,” she mumbled, remembering what Olivia had said about the Love Nest and the general area. She leaned back a little, giving him a smile that felt weaker than it was. “Can’t get civilians mixed up in this. Good thinking.” 

Genji swallowed once, twice, before he spoke. “Yeah.” A pause, gaze falling down before he just as quickly looked up again. “She seemed annoyed as it was, didn’t even get a good look on us. Figured it was worth a shot.”

“Well, since we didn’t get shot at,” Angela huffed and there was no missing the way Genji smiled at her, radiating relief and such a warmth that she felt ready to melt where she stood. She had to force herself to snap back to it, to gently tug at his hand, their fingers still intertwined. “We should leave. Before the robots come back for a second look.”

Genji nodded, taking a step back almost regrettably and no longer pinning Angela to the brick wall.

They didn’t speak on their way to the bus stop, casting nervous glances around them and on high alert, as if a robot could jump out any second with a gun at their heads. Yet it didn’t feel like much needed to be spoken, not much could be said when there were no words found for the horrors they had witnessed.

The horrors that the last pieces of the puzzle had revealed.

“This,” Angela whispered, huddled close to Genji for warmth as they waited for the bus back to safety, and yet she couldn’t stop the shivering. “This is so much worse than I thought.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been pretty bad at answering your comments, but I appreciate every single one of them and it's what keeps me going! So if you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while since I updated last and since this chapter is a bit on the shorter side (at least for me), I’ll do a double-update! 
> 
> And a great thanks to everyone who has drawn fanart! Really what kept me going and I can’t thank you enough <3  
> So make sure to check out [these super cool designs](https://joeneauxvieve.tumblr.com/post/176906973702/) by [Joeneauxvieve](https://joeneauxvieve.tumblr.com/)! <3  
> And this super cool [Mercy design](https://doodlebopos.tumblr.com/post/176962180411/), and [these designs](https://doodlebopos.tumblr.com/post/176939361536/) of her costume! They are super cool!! Also check out [this Mercy](https://doodlebopos.tumblr.com/post/176983413006/), [this one](https://doodlebopos.tumblr.com/post/177025875091/), and [this one](https://doodlebopos.tumblr.com/post/176907453496/), all by [Doodlebopos](https://doodlebopos.tumblr.com/)! I really adore how fluffy the wings are! <3  
> [Bloopie-draws](https://bloopie-draws.tumblr.com/) drew [this scene](https://bloopie-draws.tumblr.com/post/177150280459/) from chapter 6! Love Angela’s expression! <3  
> [Midorinarukami](https://%20midorinarukami.tumblr.com/) drew a [super lovely scene](https://midorinarukami.tumblr.com/post/179098673632/) that I can definitely see happening! Thank you <3  
> And [Stealingpotatoes](http://stealingpotatoes.tumblr.com) drew a [super lovely Mercy](http://stealingpotatoes.tumblr.com/post/179661640981/) cradling a cup of coffee! <3
> 
> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

Angela had always been a fan of horror movies, rarely had a problem sleeping after one because she knew that the ghosts weren’t real and that any monster hiding in the shadows could easily be beaten. She was a superhero, after all. And she had watched horrors in real life over the years, from people standing on the ledge of too tall buildings and crime scenes even the police hesitated to enter.

But there was something different about seeing the horrors of yesterday. She didn’t know if it was because she wasn’t transformed, or if the fear for Genji’s safety made her more vulnerable. Or if it simply was because these were children. Some who had been missing for ten whole years, stolen from their homes without a trace only to be put in cages. Treated like animals, _test subjects_. Nothing more than numbers in sick experiments she couldn’t even begin to hope to understand.

And all the while, she could do nothing about it. The sheer helplessness, of only being able to watch where she had otherwise been the first to jump in and help, made her tremble at the thought. And perhaps that was the source of her fear. The very thing that kept her awake at night, flinching at shadows and fearing for her life when she hadn’t needed to before.

So, she reasoned, some fresh air and the welcoming warmth that Fareeha and Ana always offered her would do her good. Or at least she prayed that it would take her mind off of things. After all, there was nothing more welcoming than the Amari’s home.

And although she came unannounced, the moment she rang the doorbell she could hear Fareeha’s rushed footsteps as she stumbled to open the door.

“Angela!” Fareeha’s warm smile greeted her and she was immediately pulled into an equally warm hug, that lingered just few moments longer because they both needed it. “I haven’t seen you since the attack, I was so worried!”

Pulling back a bit, Fareeha met her eye, and Angela tried her best to give a smile. “Sorry, I should’ve called. It was all just…” A pause, a heavy sigh, and she couldn’t look her best friend in the eye. “It’s been a lot.”

“Yeah,” Fareeha mumbled, shivering ever so slightly before she opened the door wider to let Angela in. “We’ve got some leftovers from dinner, if you’re hungry.”

Pulling off her coat and stepping out of her shoes, Angela followed Fareeha into the kitchen. “I would love that, thank you.”

Just the smell of their kitchen was enough to make Angela relax and feel somewhat safe again. She could hear the sound of the TV from the other room, too low for her to pick out the conversation, but it was no doubt showing the news.

“Is Ana still here?” She asked, voice a whisper as if she was afraid that Ana could hear them. As a child, she had believed that was the case; nothing happened without Ana knowing about it. At times, she reminded Angela more of a hawk than a human, the way she’d look at them with knowing eyes after they’d returned from doing things not so innocent. Like the time they’d covered their neighbor’s dog in mud, or the time when Angela had helped Fareeha home late at night after her first heartbreak.

Ana always knew and she always helped.

“Doesn’t seem like she’ll be leaving soon,” Fareeha answered, grabbing a plate for Angela to use. “Things just get messier and messier and I’m-“ She interrupted herself, took a deep breath, then looked up at Angela. “I’m just scared that when she does decide to leave, she’ll take me with her and I’m not sure I can leave my whole life behind like that, you know?”

Angela shifted a bit, taking the plate gratefully. “Has she mentioned anything about it?” There was silence as Angela plated some food, moving over to the microwave, and she couldn’t help but smile. “If Ana hasn’t mentioned leaving the city, then I don’t think you have to worry.”

There was a soft hum as Fareeha took a seat at the table, resting her chin in her hands. Her left leg jumping in restlessness.

Angela couldn’t blame her, felt the restlessness in her own blood as well.

“Are they still digging at the university?” She asked to fill the silence, less it would swallow them.

She had spent the rest of the day yesterday being huddled up in a blanket, watching the news covering the events from a day ago, showing bad videos taken from some students’ phones of the superheroes and the monster they were fighting. It was horrifying, seeing it from that angle, and Angela rarely watched videos like that. There was something about the panic of a crowd, the screams and the cries, the need to get away at any cost and yet the curiosity to watch what was behind you. Angela only ever saw it as Valkyrie, often high above and safe from the insane panic.

The microwave gave a _pling_ and Angela retrieved her food before sitting down across from Fareeha with some tableware. The food tasted like her childhood and she gave a happy hum, feeling like she hadn’t eaten in days.

“They’re still looking for survivors,” Fareeha mumbled after a while, gaze stuck somewhere in the distance without really seeing anything. “I don’t even know how many were lost.”

“Too many,” came Angela’s automatic answer, and suddenly the food didn’t taste as good anymore.

“I-“ Fareeha started, paused, tried again. “I heard from Satya that they lost three from the engineering program. None she knew in person, but…”

Angela took another bite, forced herself to keep eating. It hadn’t really hit her until then, but people had died. People had actually died that day. Because of her. Because she hadn’t been fast enough to protect them, because she had wandered around the villain’s lair and gained a target on her back that had led the monster straight to the university.

No, she reminded herself. Don’t think of it. She needed to focus on the task at hand, needed to solve the case. If she stopped to think about it, even for just a moment, she knew she’d be lost. Knew that it would be harder to continue.

“It’s going to be weird,” she said instead, “going back once things calm down.”

Fareeha only nodded at that, seeming to sink deep in thought. Not knowing what else to say, how to even save the situation and fearing that she’d say something worse, Angela remained silent as she finished the meal. She felt slightly better afterwards, with a full stomach and knowing that her family was alright and blissfully unaware of the horrors Angela had seen yesterday.

And, thinking back at it, it still didn’t make any sense.

What could Maximilien possibly be doing with the children, and with the help of Moira of all people? They were obviously using the relic, the artifact, in some way, but in what way could its power affect someone who wasn’t wearing it? As far as Angela knew, her bracelet was just a simple bracelet until the moment she transformed, but she hadn’t thought much about that either.

But in what way, _in what possible way_ , could it turn a child into a gigantic monster without any sense nor purpose other than hunting their heads?

“Angela?”

Blinking, Angela looked up at Fareeha, who met her gaze with clear amusement.

“You seem distracted,” she said, giving a light chuckle. “Can’t say I blame you. Genji was the same way yesterday.”

“Genji?” Angela didn’t mean to perk up the way she did, and she wasn’t sure if the flutter in her stomach was from worry or something else. “You talked to Genji?”

Fareeha gave her a smile, a knowing look in her eyes as if Angela hadn’t been very subtle at all. “Yeah, yesterday afternoon. Met him on my way to the store, so we went together.” A pause and her grin grew wider as she leaned forward a bit. “Despite everything, and despite being super distracted by everything I said, he seemed quite… happy? Yeah, happy would be the right word.”

“Happy?” Angela raised an eyebrow, amused at the description. Last she had seen Genji, he had seemed anything but. “Really?”

“It was quite sweet, really,” Fareeha continued. “He seemed pretty down at first, but then I mentioned you and he just shone up. And then he wouldn’t shut up about you.” She gave a soft laughter and Angela felt her cheeks warm, suddenly not too sure what to feel. “Definitely didn’t seem like he was brooding over an ex or anything, if you ask me. No broken heart in sight.”

“Huh,” Angela breathed. “Hadn’t noticed that.”

“So it’s true then!” Fareeha leaned forward a bit over the table in her sudden excitement. “Genji mentioned something about meeting you yesterday, refused to give details though.”

Chuckling nervously, Angela leaned back in her chair, avoiding eye contact as she tried to figure out what to do. She couldn’t possibly tell Fareeha of hers and Genji’s trip to Maximilien’s hideout the day before, that would most definitely get her killed. If not by Fareeha, then by Ana. Not to mention the danger she’d put them all in, and it was bad enough that Genji had been dragged into this mess. She didn’t need Fareeha to worry about as well.

“We, uh,” she began, cleared her throat. “We’ve been spending some time together. For homework. We had a class together and we got an assignment and uh, yeah.” She glanced back at Fareeha. “Which is completely pointless now, I guess.”

This time, it was Fareeha who raised an eyebrow, seeming to not buy any of it. It wasn’t like Angela was lying about everything though, she simply left out all the important details. “Uh-huh.”

Taking a deep breath, Angela forced herself to smile, pushing away her embarrassment. “So, how is things between you and Satya?”

Swallowing the change of subject whole, Fareeha shone up like a miniature sun. She sank a bit lower in her chair with a dreamy sigh, propped up on her elbows, and there was something warm in her eyes and Angela just hoped that she hadn’t looked the same when talking about Genji. Or worse, talking _to_ Genji.

“Satya,” Fareeha began, giving a soft sigh and Angela quickly tried to hide her smile. “She’s _perfect_ , I swear! We went on a date a week ago, wandered through the old parts of the city, and she wore this lovely dress despite the weather. And we just walked and talked about everything and nothing and she told me about the architecture and I just couldn’t stop looking at her, you know? Like, she gets this look in her eyes when she talks about something that interests her and all I want to do is make her smile.”

Another longing sigh, a smile playing on Fareeha’s lips as she reached up to brush a thumb over her lower lip. As if she remembered a lingering touch.

“Sounds like you two had a great time,” Angela mumbled, watching her friend with something akin to pride swelling in her throat. It was good seeing her like that. Happy and talkative and distracted from the dangers around them.

Because that was one of the dangers, she supposed, of living in a city where danger waited around every corner; sooner or later a numbness would begin to grow. Things that seemed horrible a year before wouldn’t even make them bat an eye today. Yet there was nothing more they could do about it other than pick themselves up and continue forward. Otherwise, they’d get stuck. And Angela had seen enough stuck people to know that there was no coming back from it.

Fareeha continued describing her date with Satya, going into detail of how pretty she had been and all the new things she had learned about her, like how Satya liked to knit and wore reading glasses. Angela nodded along, smiling at the pure love in her friend’s eyes.

In the living room, the sound of the TV suddenly became louder, and Fareeha let her own voice fade. She met Angela’s eye for a moment before she gave a heavy sigh, turning to glance out to the other room. Towards Ana on the couch, looking more tired than Angela had ever seen her before, eyes glued on the screen.

“It’s gotten worse,” Angela whispered, still in fear of Ana hearing them. “Hasn’t it?”

Turning back around, Fareeha slowly shook her head. “She barely leaves the TV alone and after the last attack, she’s so worried that something is going to happen that she’s barely allowing me to leave the house.”

There was a pause, the sound of the TV reaching them, and the reporter on the news Ana was watching sounded like he was trying too hard to sound neutral. Even so, he was speaking a bit too loudly, voice wavering ever so slightly, and he stumbled a bit over the words as he tried to pronounce the university’s name.

“ _We still don’t know what the monster is and why it decided to attack the local university_ ,” the reporter continued. “ _The monster’s corpse has been moved to a secure location. Currently, a specialized group of scientists and biologists are trying to find the answers we all are seeking_.”

There was a pause as a clip started to run, screams rising and the thunderous sounds of the monster’s footsteps. Angela tried not to listen, couldn’t understand how Ana willingly put herself through that torture, and she sank a bit deeper in her chair.

The media hadn’t figured it out, it seemed. They hadn’t connected the dots, not yet, and even though they could study the monster they might never find out the truth. Because the truth was so strange, so absurd, that even Angela had a hard time believing it and still she had seen all the proof with her own eyes. For once, the truth seemed unrealistic compared to the bizarre theories that the media and their experts came up with.

Which meant that no one would believe them if they told anyone the truth. And Angela had no way of contacting Sparrow without drawing the attention of the media as well, and who knew who else might be watching.

They were truly alone, her and Genji. The two of them against the world.

Perhaps it would’ve sounded romantic in any other situation, but it only made her frustrated. Feeling even more helpless than before.

“Idiot media,” she huffed under her breath. “How stupid can they be to chase away Valkyrie and Sparrow?”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Fareeha mumbled. “I miss them. They made me feel safe, you know? Made mom relax as well. I don’t think they’ve abandoned us though, they must be working hard on catching Maximilien and the people behind all of this, making the city safe again, but…” She paused, taking a deep breath, as if she was almost afraid of admitting it out loud. “I’m scared. I’m just scared. I mean, what happens if Valkyrie and Sparrow never return? What if things get so much worse?”

Angela took a moment before she answered, never admitting that she had thought the same thing so many times before.

“Valkyrie’s and Sparrow’s purpose is to keep everyone safe,” she began, speaking carefully. It was easy to forget amongst everything that had happened, but she still had to keep her other identity a secret. “And if they can’t manage that, then the titles will be passed on. Just like Frostbite and Arctic appeared after Overwatch’s fall. Perhaps we’ll never see Valkyrie and Sparrow again, but rather two new heroes better fit for the task.”

Fareeha gave a soft hum, seemingly lost in thought over her words and Angela smiled. Despite the pain in her chest, she couldn’t help but jokingly speak up again.

“Perhaps they might even ask you to take up the cape, so to speak.”

The laughter that filled the kitchen felt warm and secure, and it made Angela smile along, trying to ignore that pain she felt. She might’ve said it as a joke, but if it really came down to it, Fareeha would be her first choice. Or rather, would’ve been. She wasn’t so sure she’d be able to hand over the responsibility, the stress and the fear and the pain and the _helplessness_ to her best friend. Not with everything else going on in her life.

She should’ve been picked from the beginning instead. Perhaps things would’ve turned out differently then.

“You know I wouldn’t be able to do that,” Fareeha said, making Angela perk up in surprise. She’d always thought that Fareeha would’ve loved the idea of being the one to protect the city, of being a superhero people could depend on. Knew that she had considered a career in the police force before she’d met a physiotherapist who had changed her mind and heart.

“I always dreamed of joining Overwatch when I was small,” she continued. “Not really as a superhero, but as someone ordinary. I could just imagine how proud mom would be.” A pause and she shifted a bit. “But then everything went bad. And it’s about to happen all over again. This might really be the end for superheroes.”

That was definitely not something Angela wanted to think about, not again. Especially not when they had found out the truth and all they needed was to find Maximilien and take him out once and for all. Things couldn’t end before then.

Her discomfort must’ve been obvious on her face, because Fareeha noticed her look and got up from the table with a smile. “How about we bake something? Might cheer up mom as well.”

“It’s been a while since last time,” Angela agreed with a light chuckle. “I’ve missed getting flour all over your kitchen.”

And, she noted, it gave her the perfect excuse to stay a little longer. It would be impossible to overstay her welcome, she knew, since Ana had basically taken her in after her parents had died. Still, it reminded her of her childhood, of the days when she would come over and they’d spent the evening baking before going to bed late at night. Watching bad movies while curled up in blankets and whispering about the superheroes protecting their city.

Fareeha grabbed the old book where Ana kept the family recipes, even though Ana knew all of them by heart she had still written them down, and together they sat down to pick an old favorite that tasted of easier times.

 

*

 

The kitchen smelled sweetly of baklava, Angela’s fingers sticky with the syrup as she picked up another piece.

“I had almost forgotten how delicious these are,” she mumbled, sighing happily as she took a bite, the pastry melting in her mouth. Fareeha did the same, a pleased hum slipping from her lips.

“These are good indeed,” Ana said, sitting next to Fareeha at the table, a cup of tea in front of her. She had joined them halfway through, as the scent of baklava had spread through the house, and it was impossible not to be drawn in by it.

The TV was still on in the living room, the sound of it only a background noise, and it was easy to block out the “experts” analyzing the many videos of the attack on the university. They’d gone over many theories about the monster, some claiming that it was an alien and others arguing that it was all a scheme Valkyrie and Sparrow had made up for publicity. When Angela had pointed out that they were getting sillier and sillier, Fareeha had laughed and even Ana had smiled. As horrible as it would seem, it was a bit easier to joke about the horrors than having to acknowledge them in front of Ana. Angela could talk about it with Fareeha, because they had both survived the attack on the university, had both lived through the terror, albeit a bit differently. They could relate to each other, and although Fareeha always seemed like the stronger of the two, she needed the support of a friend. That, Angela could give.

But it was different with Ana. She had been closed off for so long, had only ever been home in short periods before, and neither Angela or Fareeha seemed to know what to do. How much they could say, how far they could push things before they stumbled over an edge they couldn’t see.

And so they kept to small jokes and a light mood around Ana, especially now when they finally got her to leave the TV alone, if only just for a moment.

Licking her fingers clean, Angela began to rise from the table. Ana still had tea left and wouldn’t leave soon and if they were lucky, they could bribe her with another cup.

“I’ll help with the dishes. It’s the least I can do,” she said, and as Fareeha looked ready to protest, she gave her a bright smile. “How about we watch a movie or something afterwards?”

There was a pause, the “just like when we were children” hanging unspoken in the air, but Fareeha picked it up with a grateful smile. A movie meant a break from the news and Ana didn’t protest at the suggestion. That in itself was a small victory.

Fareeha helped clearing up the space a bit, finding an old cookie box for the squares of baklava, as well as a smaller one in plastic which she filled to the brim with the pastries. On her way out to the living room, she placed the plastic box at Angela’s shoes so that she wouldn’t forget it once she went back home.

A comfortable silence followed as Angela tapped up some water in the sink and started organizing the dirty dishes. Ana sipped on her tea, humming lightly to herself.

Only when they heard Fareeha’s slightly frustrated mumble as she tried to find a good movie, did Ana speak up.

“You probably remember Overwatch differently than I do,” she said, and her words made Angela pause, almost dropping the plate she was holding. Over all the years Angela had known Ana, she had never spoken of Overwatch. “Media tended to glorify them. Back then, they spoke highly of every victory and shuffled the bad under the rug.”

There was a pause and Ana let out a sound that could’ve been a bitter chuckle.

“Jack was good at that, making the media look the other way. Most of the time, they let the superheroes get away with things they shouldn’t have.” A pause, a heavy sigh. “It became their downfall.  In the end, the heroes’ mistakes became too many and Jack could no longer sweet-talk the media.”

Angela held her breath, gently putting down the plate. She didn’t dare to speak, afraid that it would discourage Ana from continuing, and although she didn’t know why Ana was even telling her these things, she knew that it was important. That these words were meant only for her and that she better listen.

And there was something in the way she spoke, the way she said _Jack_ and not calling him by his hero-name. As if she had known him personally.

“In a way,” Ana continued, and Angela turned slightly to glance over at her, noticing how her gaze was lost somewhere far away. “I am glad that it came to an end when it did. So many people were hurt because of them. Civilians. Those poor children. Even their own families suffered, without ever knowing why.” She blinked, took a sip of her tea, and listened to Fareeha’s grumbling in the other room before she finished with a whisper. “If things had been done differently, then perhaps we could’ve saved them.”

Turning around fully, Angela could only stare. It had only been a whisper, words barely audible, and perhaps she had heard wrong. Because it would be impossible, yet it would explain _so much_ -

Ana moved before Angela could speak a single word, ask that simple question, and a hand closed over her wrist. Keeping her in place and keeping her from running. Fingers curling around her skin and the bracelet that warmed, not from danger but from recognition, at the touch.

“You are now at a point where you can’t head in without a plan,” Ana spoke, voice but a rushed whisper, something hard in her gaze. As if she had been pushed to the brink of desperation, the same helplessness that Angela felt mirrored in her eyes. “Angela, you can’t act reckless. Not when there are so many depending on you. The last thing you can afford is to lose your partner because of your own mistakes.”

“Wha-“ Angela began, not sure what to say, her emotions a jumbled mix within her. But Ana’s grip on her wrist tightened, stealing the words from her lips.

“Learn from the mistakes of those before you.”

Unable to breathe, Angela simply stared. Ana wasn’t just making things up, making wild guesses or repeating those silly theories from the news. She poke from experience, spoke as if she knew exactly who Angela was.

Perhaps she had known from the very beginning, from the moment Angela put on the bracelet for the first time.

And so her words weighted heavier than before. Angela knew she had been irresponsible, dragging Genji into the mess and leading the monster to their university, unable to save the lives that had been lost that day. One moment too late and it could’ve been Fareeha or Genji or Jesse or-

Taking a deep breath, she avoided Ana’s gaze. She had realized it before, knew she had been reckless and _stupid_ , but she had told herself that she could protect them. That she was a superhero and she could protect them all.

But, she realized now, perhaps that had been the same thought the superheroes of Overwatch had had as the children began vanishing, one after another. As they dragged civilians into danger and made their way to their own downfall. That secure thought of _I’m a superhero, I can protect_ had blinded them in the end.

Ana was right.

Angela couldn’t afford to make the same mistakes.

“So,” she whispered, voice weak. “What can I do?”

A small smile spread on Ana’s lips and she released Angela’s wrist. The warmth lingering on her skin. “You can think before you act.” She turned around, picking up her cup of tea before heading to the door, pausing once more. “And trust in your partner.”

Feeling dumbfounded, Angela stared after Ana as she walked out to the living room to help Fareeha pick a movie. No words found their way to her lips, and she wasn’t even sure what she could say. Instead, she turned back to the dishes, sinking her hands down in the warm water to finish what she had started.

Ana’s words lingered long after she had put away the last dishes, and she bit down on her lower lip as she thought. She needed to act soon to make sure that no more people were hurt because of her, but she couldn’t just head in without a clue of what to do.

She needed a plan, a good solid plan, on how to save those children and bring down Maximilien. Once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't beta-read, so all mistakes are on me.
> 
> Please enjoy!

The sound of her alarm woke her up, the noise blaring through the room. In the few moments of confusion that followed, those moments where sleep still has a hold on her and she wasn’t too sure what’s real or a dream, she felt fear rise up in her throat. Her muscles tensing in fight or flight response.

And then the alarm became just what it was; something harmless to wake her up.

Blinking, Angela sat up in her bed, one hand fumbling for her phone to mute the noise. The dream she had been pulled from, closer to a nightmare than not, still lingered in her mind and it made her pause and take a deep breath before she got up.

The first thing she did was to check the lock on her front door. It was untouched since the day before, and there was no broken glass or anything suspicious that spoke of her safety being compromised. Still, she could hear it so clearly in her mind, the echo from her dream, of a metal hand knocking on her door. The promise of pain in a harsh voice that sounded only of the hollow machine inside.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she went into the kitchen to make some coffee. Perhaps her skittishness was simply because she was tired.

“Tired, not paranoid,” she muttered to herself as she started the coffee machine, the sound of beans being grounded filling the room. Once done, she cradled the cup of hot coffee close to her chest, still a bit too hot to drink, but enough to give her some sense of comfortable warmth.

Nothing had really happened since she returned home yesterday evening from Fareeha’s house. Despite the talk she’d had with Ana, and despite her horrifying dreams, she was still safe. Her identity wasn’t public knowledge, her friends still lived, and there had been no Maximilien knocking on her door in the middle of the night.

And yet, _something_ felt off.

It could’ve just been her imagination, could’ve just been her tiredness and lingering fear from the nightmares, but it became clearer the more she drank of her coffee. As if the world itself was holding its breath. Even the reporters on the news, once she started the TV to get rid of the silence that left too much to imagination, were talking in a quieter tone than the day before. Their theories not as harsh or extravagant, but more realistic and still just as painful.

If she hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought that she’d gone back in time, to those days before everything went bad. When Maximilien was still bringing down the buildings of his enemies, when he was still stuck in a prison without a way out. When he was still just waiting.

Surely, it wasn’t a good sign.

Feeling like the time was running out from between her fingers, Angela finished her coffee, got a second cup, and then sat down in her couch to make up some kind of plan. The TV was still on, but not distracting, and she spent the first hours of the day trying to follow Ana’s advice. But knowing that she needed a plan was one thing, actually coming up with one was easier said than done.

She needed to contact Sparrow, as Valkyrie, but she couldn’t possibly do it without drawing the attention of the media at the same time. And if the media noticed them, they’d be hunted down without remorse, and this time Angela was sure that the reporters wouldn’t give up until their masks were off.

Yet that was still the best plan, ironically enough. The worst plan was also her best, because there was a small glimmer of hope that she and Sparrow could get away before the media caught up to them, that they could find a safe place to talk. But, she reminded herself, that still couldn’t possibly work because the media would know.

And the moment media knew that the superheroes were on their move, Maximilien would too. Who knew what he would do then, what horrors he would unleash?

By lunchtime, Angela was still at a standstill, growing more and more frustrated by the mess she had been forced into. She’d never thought that she’d be so desperate to contact Sparrow. He had always been there for her, no matter if she wanted it or not, and it felt wrong to be unable to talk to him, to tell him of the horrible things she and Genji had seen, to make up a plan _together_.

She knew she had Genji, but it wasn’t the same. He shouldn’t even have been there to start with! She was putting him in unnecessary danger and he didn’t even seem to mind, because who hadn’t dreamt of solving a mystery that even the superheroes’ couldn’t?

Frustrated, Angela got up to put away her empty cup and make something to eat. She didn’t feel hungry at all, but she knew that she’d feel better with something in her stomach.

Just as she was taking out the eggs to make some pancakes, her phone gave a buzz. The sudden sound and movement in her pocket made her jump, almost dropping one of the eggs. Cursing under her breath, because she had no business being so _afraid_ , she gently placed the eggs on the counter before grabbing her phone.

It was a simple mail from her professor, explaining that even though the university was ruined and he was stuck at the hospital with multiple bone fractures, life moved on. Therefore, they should all do an assignment. In groups. So that they may occupy their brains with something that wasn’t so sorrowful.

She skimmed through the instructions quickly, noting that they could do the assignment at their own time and own place, as long as they turned it in online before New Year’s Eve. It was unusually kind coming from the same professor who always gave them too little time, but she supposed that they all deserved that kindness. Either that, or he was too high on medicine to care about the time limit. Angela didn’t complain, welcoming the distraction, however small it might be, while at the same time wondering if schoolwork really mattered when a supervillain was on the loose and experimenting on children.

Feeling conflicted, and not for the first time that day, she placed the phone on the counter and went to crack the eggs into the bowl. She was whisking all the ingredients together when her phone made a new noise. She glanced over, seeing Fareeha’s name, and immediately dropped the whisk to pick up her phone again.

Unlike her professor’s long mail, Fareeha had settled for a short text. “Study with me, Jesse and Genji?”

A second later, another text followed. “You know that one café Genji showed that had the best coffee you’ve ever tasted? Meet us there at 3.”

Angela looked over at the clock. It was just past 1pm, which would give her some time to make her easy lunch, or very late breakfast depending on how you looked at it, and still make it to the café in time. No matter how conflicted she felt about it, she supposed her friends would be safer if she was with them. Keeping them safe was the least she could do.

Sending back an answer, Angela began making her pancakes.

 

*

 

Her breath made small clouds in the air, the chill making her puff up her scarf a bit more as she arrived at the café. It felt like an eternity since she had been there last, and just like last time it was an anonymous building that she wouldn’t have taken for a café at first glance.

For a moment, she hesitated outside, unsure if she had arrived too early or not. But when the cold started seeping into her bones, she finally opened the door and went inside.

The small bell chimed above the door, drawing the attention of Fareeha and Genji who were already sitting at a small table in the back. They waved at her, with equally warm smiles, and Angela hurried over to them, untangling her scarf on the way.

“I thought I was too early,” she said, returning their smiles. “I guess we’re just waiting for Jesse then?”

“Not really,” Genji began, clearing his throat. “Jesse had to go home. His family is really worried, especially after what happened at the university. Apparently, they’re forcing him to stay home during winter.”

Hearing that, Angela took a silent breath of relief. Going home, away from the city, was probably the best decision Jesse could’ve made. And it meant one less person for Angela to worry about.

“It’s just the three of us!” Fareeha clasped her hands together, cheeks still a bit rosy from the cold outside. “I’ll go get us some coffee. Want anything else?”

“I think I saw some cheesecake in the display when I walked in,” Angela answered, taking a seat on the short end of the table, even though there was plenty of space next to Genji on the couch. “And some of that coffee would really be great.”

“Think I’ll have the same,” Genji said, shifting a bit closer to Angela and suddenly she felt incredibly stupid for not sitting down next to him. Especially when he gave her such a warm smile and she felt like she could melt.

Fareeha nodded, grabbed her bag, and headed over to the counter to make their orders. Both Angela and Genji sat in silence while they waited, packing up their notebooks and pens, and Angela wasn’t really sure what to say. This was the first time she’d seen him again since their adventure to Maximilien’s lair.

A café didn’t really feel like the right place to discuss what they’d seen. Nor was it the right place to try and convince Genji to leave things to the superheroes.

Fareeha returned a moment later and broke the silence, putting down the three cups of coffee and two plates of strawberry cheesecake, one for Angela and one for Genji. Immediately, Angela took her cup of coffee, blew a bit on the surface, and then took a sip.

Still, even after a month of tasting it last, the taste felt like a familiar warm embrace. Rich and flavorful, just sweet enough to match the bitterness, a hint of chocolate lingering on her tongue. Her eyes fluttered closed and she let out a pleased hum.

“Nothing beats this coffee,” she mumbled to herself, even though it wasn’t entirely true. She was sure that the coffee would’ve tested better if she’d been up on a tall roof, cold wind ruffling her feathers, with Sparrow by her side. She tried her best to ignore the pang of pain in her chest at that thought.

To her side, she heard Genji chuckle, and she opened her eye to glance over at him. One eyebrow raised, she lowered her cup, and Genji only gave her a light shake of his head before he picked up his own. A smile playing on his lips, as if he was holding onto a secret.

Fareeha rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a pen before flinging open her own notebook. “We’ve got the coffee and cheesecake! Let get down to business!”

Smiling at Fareeha’s enthusiasm, Angela turned to her own notebook as well. Together, in between sips of coffee and bites of cheesecake, they discussed the assignment and wrote down notes and ideas. It felt mundane, normal in a way that Angela hadn’t felt in a long, long time. She had almost forgotten what it was like to sit down with her friends and do schoolwork, forgetting about the world outside. And oh, how she missed those simpler days, when the worst that could happen in her line of work was getting shot at by some robbers in a jewelry store.

And just like that, just by thinking of easier times, the bubble was broken. And she was reminded once again of all the responsibility resting on her shoulders, of the plan she was supposed to make up and make happen, of trying to contact Sparrow in a safe yet secure way.

Trying to distract, or trying to clear her thoughts, she took another sip of her coffee. It reminded her so much of Sparrow that it was close to painful, and at that point she’d give anything to see him again. For a brief moment, she thought that revealing her identity to the public might be a fair price just to see him again, but she quickly shook that thought off before it could fully form.

She took a long sip, trying to hold onto the warm feeling, and with the taste of the coffee with a hint of chocolate still lingering on her tongue, she froze. Slowly, as to not drop the cup, she lowered it and put it down next to her notebook.

Sparrow went to this café. She knew that. He had treated her to their coffee, she knew he was a frequent customer, and this might be her chance! She could try and find a chance to slip away from Genji and Fareeha, transform in a nearby alley, then return and call out for Sparrow to meet her at their usual spot before patrols.

However, the only chance for that to work was for Angela to not be too suspicious as she sneaked away, and for Sparrow to actually be in the café when she returned transformed. But, she thought, perking up a little. But perhaps, if he was in the café at that very moment, she could in some way recognize him. After all, she knew him better than anyone. Knew the softness of his smile with that familiar scar, the warmth in his dark eyes, the way his black hair would feel to the touch.

Looking over her shoulder, her gaze slid over the three women sitting at the counter, chatting about the weather. Near the window was a couple, and although the man had dark hair, his eyes were a bit too bright. It was the same with the two guys sitting a bit further back, leaned over a phone as they watched a video, one of them blond and the other a bit too short and thin to be the superhero. The transformation changed them, but in Angela’s experience, it didn’t change them _that_ much.

Sighing softly, Angela turned back around, briefly meeting Genji’s eye. He gave her a smile, a small question in the tilt of his head, and she gave him a light shrug as if to say that it was nothing. She couldn’t explain it to him anyway.

She sank down a bit in her chair, picking up the small fork for the cheesecake, tapping it gently against the plate as she thought. Sparrow wasn’t there. At least, not now, but if she got lucky she might be able to catch him at another time. Perhaps if she returned later in the evening, or tomorrow-

“Excuse me for a bit,” Fareeha said, getting up from their table, pen still stuck in her hair and her phone raised. “Need to check in with mom. Don’t want her to worry.”

Nodding in understanding, Angela and Genji watched her retreat to the other side of the café, where the restrooms were. Angela turned back to her notebook, thinking of clearing up the notes a bit, and barely noticed as Genji shifted closer to her on the couch. Glancing up, she gave him a small smile, feeling his warmth from the short distance between them. She really should’ve sat down in the couch instead, just to be closer to him.

“I’m sorry,” he began, voice only a whisper. “I didn’t mean to put you through such danger before.”

She frowned at him, his words not making sense at first. She should be the one apologizing for dragging him into Maximilien’s lair, for almost getting him killed. And she opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak a single word, he continued in a rush.

“Let me make it up to you!” He reached out for her hand, stopped himself just a breath away from her skin, and then let his hand fall. Angela tried to tell herself that she wasn’t disappointed, kept herself from reaching out to him in return. “How about lunch? Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” She repeated, knew that her voice sounded odd, even to her own ears.

It was so soon, she hadn’t even made up a plan yet, hadn’t even come up with an excuse or any arguments good enough to make Genji stay out of things. But on the other hand, this was a great opportunity to discuss things with him. And Genji wasn’t stupid; if she was lucky he might even be able to help her with a plan, or at least help her approach this whole mess with some sense left. Because, she realized, he must want to contact the superheroes as well, right? That’d be the most logical, the safest, approach and together they might just as well be able to do it.

“Alright. I won’t say no to some food,” she mumbled, meeting his gaze and momentarily forgot how to breathe. Just the way he was looking at her, that longing in his eyes mixed in with hope-

It all felt so _familiar_.

“Great!” Genji smiled, fingers brushing past hers and suddenly she could breathe again. He picked up his pen, ripped off a piece of paper from his notebook and scribbled down a few lines. “Here, the address.”

She took the piece of paper, looked over the address, but couldn’t place it straight away. Not a street close to hers, then. “Do you have any specific time in mind?”

He gave a shrug, picking up his cup of coffee. “Around lunchtime? So perhaps at 12?”

“Sounds good,” Angela answered, returning his smile and pocketing the note.

She might not have been able to contact Sparrow that day, might not have made any progress on her plan or anything similar. But, she thought as Fareeha returned to the table and they turned back to finish their assignment, Ana had reminded her not to rush into things. She had to take it slow, keep her head above water just long enough to think clearly.

To take one day at a time.

 

*

 

Nervousness filled her veins, and it was a strange change from the adrenaline she normally felt when she was doing something dangerous. Like falling off a building with spread wings, that moment before she caught the wind, or being shot at by some jewelry robbers.

It wasn’t like she was doing anything dangerous now, yet she felt ready to run away at any second. Because the address she’d gotten from Genji wasn’t to his place, like she’d at first thought and she’d be completely fine with that really. But no, he’d given her the address to a restaurant, too fancy and surely too expensive for her limited economy, and she didn’t even dare to step a foot inside even to escape the cold. That, and the man guarding the door kept glancing over at her with something _judging_ in his gaze.

Perhaps, she reasoned, Genji had given her the wrong address. Or perhaps this was all just a joke or a way to get her to dress up, because she did dress up despite the cold, and there was no way that they were actually going to eat there. They’d probably need to queue for a year or two before even getting a table inside!

“Unrealistic,” she muttered to herself, shifting her weight from foot to foot, fiddling with the strap of her purse, tugging at the hem of her coat and absentmindedly wondering if she should’ve gone with the boots instead of the heels.

There was a sound behind her, a soft sigh, and Angela twisted around and ready to punch whoever it was who had sneaked up behind her. Before she could lift her fist though, Genji smiled at her, almost painfully soft.

“You should really stop sneaking up on me like that,” she huffed, brushing off some imaginary dust from her coat to try and hide how close she’d been to throw a fist at him. “Might punch you the next time.”

It made him laugh and he took a step closer, sharing his warmth and seeming to ward off the cold around them. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” A pause, a smile playing on his lips. “I’ll try not to do it again.”

She huffed back at him, feeling a smile of her own spread on her lips, teasing and comfortable and oh so familiar. “No, wouldn’t want to hurt that pretty face of yours-“ Cutting herself off, she felt her cheeks warm. Since when had she spoken like that to _Genji_? “I mean, you should borrow Jesse’s spurs. You know those he wore for Halloween last year? Makes it _impossible_ to sneak up on others.”

Seeming just as surprised by her words, Genji took a moment before he answered. And the flush on his cheeks might’ve not only been because of the cold. “He actually wears those when he’s at home, so they might be a bit hard to steal.”

There was a moment, a shared moment between them when they just looked at each other, warmth bursting in Angela’s chest and in that moment she forgot the world around them. And then, with the start of a soft giggle from Angela, they both burst out laughing. She blamed it on her nervousness, that it was the bubbling thing in her stomach, and how it seemed to get worse at the sound of Genji laughing.

“I believe you,” she said, laughter dying down to a smile and she quickly glanced over at the man at the door of the restaurant, who was looking over at them with clear interest. “But really, Genji? I honestly thought that you were inviting me over to your place or something. Don’t think I can afford the food here.”

“You don’t have to,” he answered, reaching out a hand for her to take. She hesitated only for a moment before she slipped her hand into his. “I’m treating you to lunch. And,” he added as Angela looked ready to protest, “I really can afford it so you don’t even have to look at the price!”

She raised an eyebrow at him, both confused and curious by his words. They were both university students and there was no way either of them could afford to eat at a place this fancy, and yet he spoke with such confidence that she could only assume that he spoke truth.

That was why, a bit stunned to silence, she let herself be lead up to the man guarding the door. He gave them a polite smile, looking ready to turn them away because of obvious reasons, when his eyes landed on Genji. Recognition sparked in his eyes and he quickly opened the door for them. “Welcome, Mr. Shimada.”

Genji gave him a polite smile in return, but there was something in the way he straightened up, the way he suddenly carried himself. As if he was someone really important.

The inside was warm, no hint of the chill outside. It was the first time Angela had ever been there and she couldn’t help but look around with wide eyes. At the dim light, lit candles at every table, the interior of red and dark wood, the soft chatter of the other dinner guests while waiters moved around as if invisible, refilling wine glasses and removing empty plates.

Their coats were taken and then they were led to a table for two by a young woman with a pristine look. Angela followed Genji without question, clutching his hand for dear life as if she would get lost in the richness of the place if she let go of him. He didn’t complain though, not even once, only smiled at her with that familiar warmth. Once seated though, and once their waiter had introduced himself and given them the menu to look at, did Angela speak, gaze following the retreating back of the waiter.

“Seriously Genji,” she whispered, although it sounded more like a hiss as she leaned a bit over the table to look him in the eye over the vase of roses on the middle of the table. And she wanted to ask exactly what _this_ was, why they were seated facing each other, lit candles and roses on the table, and why it felt so suspiciously like a date and-

Oh.

She straightened up a bit, suddenly a bit unsure of herself. This was a date, wasn’t it?

Part of her was impressed, another part strangely insulted because she’d done the same for him and he’d never figured it out, and now he’d turned it around on her and perhaps it was only fair. But at least, she reminded herself, she had his full attention this time.

“Genji,” she began again, voice a bit calmer as she narrowed her eyes at the shadow of a smile on his lips. “Exactly who are you?”

“I’m me,” he said with a shrug, and at the look Angela gave him, he let out a soft laughter. “I’m also Sojiro Shimada’s youngest son. Suppose I should count myself lucky that I’m not expected to take over the business in the future, though I’ll probably end up with a position anyway, regardless if I like it or not.”

Angela blinked. “Sojiro Shimada? Like the famous businessman who donated _millions_ to medical research a couple of years back?” A pause, Genji shifted his gaze a bit. Angela blinked again. “Huh.”

There was another pause and then Genji glanced back at her. A small wrinkle between his eyebrows as he frowned. “Huh?”

“Yeah,” Angela mumbled. “ _Huh_. I really don’t know what I expected.” She tapped a finger against her chin, head tilting slightly to the side as she looked him over. “Thought you were just a regular student, like me. Might’ve had some brief thought that you were a ninja as well, but I wouldn’t have guessed, well, the truth I suppose.”

Amusement shone in his eyes and he leaned forward a bit, chin resting in his hand. “A ninja?”

“Based on the way you can sneak around so soundlessly,” Angela pointed out, reaching for the menu and trying to ignore her flushed cheeks. “Don’t think I’d be surprised if you told me that you can climb walls and fight with a sword or something.”

He chuckled at that, and once again Angela got the feeling that he was hiding something, but so was she and she let that feeling slip away as soon as it had risen.

“Think only superheroes can do that,” he said, reaching for his own menu. There was a pause as they looked at the different kinds of food, and Angela was glad that her menu didn’t display the prices; she probably wouldn’t dare to order anything if it did. She settled quickly for some seafood, figured that if there was a time and place to eat something like that, she should do it at a fancy restaurant that couldn’t afford its customers to get a sick stomach from a bad shrimp.

She glanced over the edge of the menu, saw that Genji was still trying to decide, and let her gaze linger a little longer. “I really think that I’m a bit underdressed for this restaurant though,” she whispered, as if afraid that the waiter would overhear and throw her out. “They wouldn’t have let me in if I hadn’t come with you.”

Her words made Genji look up sharply, as if she had physically struck him. He took a moment to look her over, at the simple dress she wore that wasn’t anything near the expensive dresses of the other guests. He frowned slightly as if he was trying to find something wrong and couldn’t actually find it. And then he smiled, so warm and reassuring that Angela couldn’t find it in her to argue against his words.

“You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful person in here, Angela,” he murmured, sounding so secure of his words that Angela could only blink up at him. Warmth on her cheeks and a flutter in her chest that wasn’t all just nervousness and she was reminded again why she had fallen for him in the first place. Except, before where all the comments had been direct at other women, sounding practiced with an easy charm, they were now directed at her. Sounding genuine and so honest that Angela had a hard time doubting them.

She didn’t even know what to respond, simply averted her gaze and put down the menu. She cleared her throat and could almost feel Genji’s gaze on her, yet not a single word left her lips.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to do with herself, and she was suddenly glad that Fareeha didn’t know about this and eternally grateful that she wasn’t actually there to witness this mess. She’d never let Angela live it down, the fact that she blushed so easily at such a simple compliment.

In the end, she was saved by the waiter, who approached with a polite smile and looking ready to take their orders. Genji took a moment longer before he put down his own menu, and he let Angela place her order first, before ordering something fancy in French that she couldn’t even hope to repeat perfectly.

The waiter left with a small bow, returned a moment later with a bottle of wine, filled their glasses and then disappeared again.

It felt weird, and slightly uncomfortable, to be treated as if she was someone important. And she suddenly understood why Genji hadn’t told her. It didn’t feel like he’d been hiding it exactly, and she was sure that he would’ve told her earlier if she had asked then. It must be exhausting, she supposed, to be known only for the name of your family and not for who you truly are.

She took a deep breath. Best not to dwell on it, and she decided that the next time they went out on a date, when all of this was over and forgotten, she’d drag Genji to something ordinary. Like the amusement park in a neighboring city, or just a picnic in the park in spring. But for that to happen, they needed to solve this mess.

And Angela didn’t know where to even start.

“We need a plan,” she spoke, low enough for only Genji to hear, breaking the silence between them. “If we don’t do something, who knows how much longer they’ll survive?” She paused, met his eye and saw how the amusement from before had turned into a firm seriousness. “We need to contact Valkyrie and Sparrow-“

“Yeah, I agree,” Genji interrupted, voice soft. “This has gotten too dangerous for us. We’re not superheroes, we can’t take out a villain like that on our own. But,” he took a deep breath. “How? How do we even get in contact with them?”

Angela was about to answer, voice dying in her throat as she realized she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t have an answer to the how, had thought that they could figure it out together or that Genji might have a good plan.

“The moment we do something, it’ll draw the media’s attention,” she mumbled, repeating the fact that had haunted her for days.

“And the moment the media knows, so too would he,” Genji filled in. “They wouldn’t have a chance.”

She gave a soft hum, teeth worrying her lower lip as she thought. They couldn’t contact the superheroes as their civilian selves, not without the media knowing. One option was for her to transform into Valkyrie and visit Genji, but that would seem pretty suspicious, would it not? To visit some random person without a good argument, and she was positive that Genji would want Valkyrie to meet Angela too, if only to hear her side of the story, and she couldn’t possibly be both at the same time. And then there was the problem of contacting Sparrow. Contacting Valkyrie was one thing because Angela already knew, but it didn’t matter if she knew or not because Sparrow didn’t. And there was no way for her to contact him.

“It’s strange,” she mumbled instead. “How, when they’re not transformed, it’s like they don’t actually exist.”

“I guess.” Genji gave a light shrug, looking just as deep in thought. “They do have real identities. They must be in this city somewhere.”

“Somewhere, completely unreachable.”

He gave a short, frustrated hum at that, all but glaring at the roses on the table. As if they knew the answer to their problem and refused to tell them. Angela took a moment longer, trying desperately to come up with a way to contact Sparrow, but it was hopeless, wasn’t it? He would only show up when the city really needed him, like when the university was attacked, and perhaps that was their best bet. To continue as they were, trying to solve the mess and get Maximilien back in prison, and the moment things turned dangerous would be the same moment the superheroes would show up.

They only needed to keep out in the open.

“If we can’t contact them, then it’s up to the two of us,” she said, sounding surer of herself than she felt. “But we still need a plan. And we still don’t know exactly why all of this is happening, why Maximilien is doing these things to begin with.”

Genji gave another hum, looking over at her, and then went very still. “We might not really know why he’s doing these things, but we do know Maximilien.” A pause and he leaned forward a bit. If anyone around them were to look, the movement could be read as romantic, the way he reached for her hand and the way both of them leaned in to whisper. “He’s famous. He’s the arch nemesis of the superheroes. He’s obsessed with owning the city.”

“He destroys everything that can be a competition to him,” Angela filled in. “He’s also obsessed with the idea of power, just look at how he’s replaced parts of himself with metal, and every time he returns he’s stronger than before. And,” she pointed out, “he did threaten the whole city last time, when Valkyrie and Sparrow captured him.”

Genji was just about to answer, lips parted and words on his tongue, when the waiter arrived with their food. Only noticing then that she was holding Genji’s hand, Angela quickly released him and withdrew to her side of the table. Resisting the urge to hide her hands under the table and yet feeling the sudden cold against her fingers.

A plate of seafood was placed in front of her, looking more delicious than anything Angela had eaten before, and the meat that Genji had ordered looked just as good. She would’ve made a joke about how she’d expected something scarier, since he’d ordered something French and she didn’t really trust anyone who could eat snails, but the mood was still a bit too heavy for light jokes. And her mind was still rushing, thoughts triggered by Genji’s simple words, because he was right.

They knew Maximilien. They knew what motivated him, knew the threats he had done and the lengths he had gone to, to make sure that he’d end up on top of the food chain.

Slowly, still in thought, Angela picked up a fork and across from her, Genji paused, a strange look on his face.

“Just a thought,” he began slowly. “But what if he’s really out to destroy the city? But like, not only that. Think of it!” A pause, Angela tilting her head slightly to the side. “We live in a time where superheroes exist, yet he’s never been out to become one or take their powers. And that thing we saw in the lab? It must’ve been connected to them, to the superheroes.”

Frowning a bit, Angela put down the fork again. “He’s got the power of a superhero in his hands, but he’s not using it on himself?” She paused, only for a moment, as a sudden thought hit her. “Perhaps he _can’t_ use the power himself.”

She had felt that pain before, the burning agony as the bracelet threatened to mark her skin in its anger. They were chosen, all of them. So what if the relic had rejected him, like her own had threatened to do at her lowest points?

What if he was trying to harness the power in another way?

“So what are you saying?” she whispered, a horrible feeling in her gut. “He’s using it in some other way? Like, trying to create an army of superheroes that listen to his bidding? Or just monsters to wreck and ruin the city? To take out the superheroes?” She drew for breath. “We don’t know how far those experiments went, he’s had years to perfect it, and we might’ve not even seen the final version. What if he can’t just transform children, but-“

The words died on her tongue and she stilled, a chill running down her spine as realization dawned upon her. And she met Genji’s gaze with wide eyes, not even trying to hide her own fear.

“Imagine the horrors,” she whispered. “If he could transform a whole city.”

She watched as her words sank in, as Genji’s eyes widened with the same realization, as his lips parted with a helpless protest that was never spoken out loud because in the next moment, a sound stole the air around them.

At first, she couldn’t place it. The noise, so loud and ringing in her ears, seeming to rattle her brain, and she slapped her hands over her ears as she tried to block it out. Echoing on the walls around them, spread over the city in a single consistent tone.

And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the sound died down.

Angela looked up, a ringing in her ears, and wondered for a moment if she had just imagined it all. But the pained look Genji gave her, the worry in his eyes as he reached out for her, spoke volumes enough.

“Wha-“ she began, immediately cut off by a familiar voice.

Hollow of the grinding metal within, edged with static as the voice filled in the air around them.

“ _Overwatch. Valkyrie and Sparrow_.” Maximilien’s voice seemed to fill every empty space in the restaurant, impossible to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from, echoing so loudly Angela couldn’t even hear her own thoughts. “ _They have denied you all a part of the truth, a taste of that pure power that allows them to call themselves superheroes. But now, the superheroes’ time has come to an end._ ”

There was a pause, just enough time for Genji to grasp Angela’s hand and hold it close, anchoring her to reality. To keep a part of that fear away.

“ _In an hour, the world as you know it will end. It will be pushed into a new era. An era of justice. Where everyone is a superhero!_ ”

There was a _crack_ in the air and then there was only the dying echo of Maximilien’s voice around them.

“Well,” Angela breathed, keeping Genji’s gaze in a horrified calmness. “Guess we were partly right.”

Genji let out something that sounded like a chuckle, edged with nervousness and fear and yet he seemed to try and be strong. To keep it together. Giving Angela a reassuring smile despite it all.

And then the world around them fell into darkness. The flicker of flames of each table.

For a moment, only for a moment, Angela was afraid to look. Eyes on Genji as if she could hold onto this moment a little longer, as if she could wake herself up from this nightmare if she just clutched his hand closer.

But she was a superhero. And so she turned towards the window, where the darkness had fallen.

The eye, blocking the view of the city, enormous and impossibly blue, moved ever so slightly and met her gaze. And then it blinked.

But, Angela thought in that moment of shock where her mind was still trying to wrap around the situation and _she didn’t understand_.

She hadn’t heard any footsteps.

And of course she hadn’t, not over the sound of Maximilien’s hollow voice and open threat, over her own heart beating fast in her throat. Then, all at once, reality caught up with her as the eye moved up and away.

“Everyone!” She screamed, voice sounding too loud in the shocked silence. “Get down!”

The words barely left her lips before the windows were crushed, glass flying around them, the tiniest pieces cutting into their skin. In the chaos that followed, people were screaming, throwing themselves to the floor and some rushing for the exits.

Angela was still holding Genji’s hand and she dragged him down on the floor, panic in her veins and she needed to get him to safety, needed to protect him, needed to get him away before she could transform. She looked back, saw her own fear mirrored in his eyes, and there was a rumbling as she reached out with her other hand because he needed to _get down_ -

The roof gave a shriek of protest, metal snapping and bending and _screeching_ , as a gigantic hand ripped it away. Rubble and metal and roof tiles rained down upon them, and Genji threw himself forward, covering her body against the worst of it.

“Get away,” she breathed against his neck, pushing against his chest because she couldn’t let him protect her, couldn’t let him get hurt because of her. “We need to get away!”

Around them, shock finally took its rightful hold of the people in the restaurant, and the air filled with screams and shouts as a single waiter directed everyone to the emergency exists. She pushed Genji towards the exit, feeling his hand slip from hers and there was a moment of pure panic in his eyes, a feeling of déjà vu deep in her gut, and then the monster reached down for them through the hole in the roof.

“ _Angela!_ ”

He threw herself at her, tackling her to the floor and the hand missed them with a breath. They rolled to the side, a hand behind Angela’s head to press her close to his chest, and only when they stilled did Angela push away. They didn’t have time to rest, didn’t have time to waste, and she tugged Genji up from the floor, her bracelet _burning_ on her skin. Once again, she tried to push him towards the exit, the restaurant empty by then, the waiter lingering at the emergency door for only a moment before the hand came down again, and just like that he was gone.

With no time to get there, Angela grabbed Genji’s shirt, pushing him down behind some tables as the hand reached for them. But there was too much power in the movement, too unhindered and the hand didn’t stop, flinging them with the table up towards a wall. The breath was stolen from Angela’s lips as her back hit the wall, scream stuck in her throat and she was sure she had never been so scared before. And she wasn’t even afraid of her own life, but for Genji’s-

He fell to his knees, breath knocked out of him, and she was immediately by his side, hand on his back and hand tugging at his arm and he needed to _get up, run to safety, get away_. She only paused when she saw the pain that painted his features, the way he gasped for breath as he clutched his left arm. Blood slipping between his fingers, metal wrenched into his skin. He’d gotten hurt because of _her_ , she had failed in such an important task, and she’d let him get _hurt_. Panic welled up in her throat, her hands shaking as she gently pushed him to sit. He couldn’t get away like that, hurt and bleeding. The monster wouldn’t let them, would only grab after him and Angela couldn’t protect him and-

Enough.

This is enough.

“There’s no other way, huh?” she breathed, glancing up to the open roof, to the gigantic monster and the cloudy sky behind it. A soft sigh passed her lips, calmness taking over her body as she made her decision.

So easy it seemed, to step forward and kneel down before Genji. So final it seemed, to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, to watch that pain melt away to confusion and hurt.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered against his skin. “For not being able to tell you sooner. For letting you get hurt.”

She pulled away, the world seeming to slow around her, the gigantic monster raising its hand again, ready to strike. And Genji raised his hand as well, reaching for Angela with fingers coated in his own blood, desperation in his eyes and he didn’t seem to understand. And oh so easily she slipped out from his grip, how firm her heart felt as she stood up tall between him and the monster, eyes set on the hand coming down for her head.

And with the world crumbling apart around them, she transformed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked the fic, please leave a comment! <3


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